*Completion is not due until August, 2013, weather permitting.

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Unless otherwise stated, images and comments and some headings published on this webpage have been sourced from the Save the Alum Sacred Mountain, Bulahdelah, facebook group. All, some with editing, are republished with permission.

2nd January 2013 – Fresh Landslide on the Alum Mountain

A fresh landslide has happened on the Alum Mountain at the site of the old mining boiler, on the top level of the Mountain. The landslide occurred sometime between 3 p.m. yesterday 1st January and 11.30 a.m. 2nd January, as I go on the Mountain nearly every day, and was there yesterday at around 3 p.m. RMS were told that this would happen, did they listen? of course not. Due to their blasting and vibration the damage they are causing is criminal.

The RMS continue with the destruction of Trees in the Alum Mountain Park, cutting down and mulching. This is a Registered Public Reserve, an Aboriginal Place and home to threatened species both Flora and Fauna. …

3.36 p.m. and still Sawing and Chipping noise coming from the Alum Mountain Park. They have by the looks of it now destroyed Bower Birds’ habitat that has been there for many years.

In the late afternoon of Tuesday, 8th January, 2012, it was confirmed and photographically recorded that the ‘Bower Bird nest area’ had been destroyed by the RTA (RMS).

Photograph taken 8th January 2013 – The Alum Mountain Park has been heavy cleared from the Toilet Block back to the Fence Line. Bower Birds’ Nests and Orchids including the Cymbidium suave have been destroyed. RMS have a lot to answer for as do all of the corrupt dealings by Great Lakes Council.Great Lakes Council are just as guilty as RMS. This is a Registered Public Reserve they have cleared, this clearing is an ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, RMS and Great Lakes Council’s heads need to roll.

Comments

This is devastating. When the EIS was published there were 6 species of native orchids in that picnic area and close by.

The Bower Birds’ Nest Gone. Cymbidium suave Gone. Other Orchids and trees Gone. RMS just can’t be trusted, no matter what they write or tell the community. They are all destructive LIARS.

In late November 2004 Lee Rhiannon was shown the native orchids then in flower in the park.

… (Source: RTA limited notification – Bulahdelah community not notified) the RTA intends to destroy the park [i.e. the Main Picnic Grounds] as it is in its current state, to put the mutilated corpse of the Guardian- Healing Tree on public display in the park and to put signs all over the place.

… Beside a rough, incorrect … diagram of the park the RTA has printed (emphasis added):-

1. Carpark relocated to western side of Scott Street to avoid/minimise clearing. [The western side of Scott Street is public footpath/State Forest land.]

2. Move footpathinside park boundary to minimise clearing and define natural habitat areas. [There is currently NO FOOTPATH in or at the park.]

3. Move berm and playground inside park side boundary (currently shown extending outside of park boundary) and locate in cleared area whereminimal clearing of eucalypts is required. [A Forestry Commission of NSW diagram of Bulahdelah Mountain Park Public Reserve [Main Picnic Grounds] is at:https://bulahdelahbypass.wordpress.com/h1-heritage-culture-multicultural-wanton-destruction/(the park includes ‘Open field for games/sport’). The children’s playground is well within the park (Main Picnic Grounds) boundary.]

4. Heritage overview and Mountain Tracks sign. [Sign 1.]

5. Relocate toilets back to original position to minimise disturbance and utilise existing sewer line. [As is proven by the aforementioned Forestry Commission map the toilets ARE currently IN THEIR ORIGINAL POSITION.]

6. Provide gate at boundary for maintenance vehicle access. [?]

7. Modify footpath to toilet to suit new position and to provide for passive surveillance of toilet entry from park area. [There is currently NO FOOTPATH to the toilets. ‘Passive surveillance of toilet entry from park area’ – !!!]

10. Gravel path to Healing Stream replacing redundant old pathlocated in partially cleared area to minimise clearing. [There is no ‘old path’ in or at Bulahdelah Mountain Park [i.e. the Main Picnic Grounds]. There WAS a footbridge which the RTA and their contractors, Baulderstone Pty. Ltd. destroyed.]

11. Remove existing playground from heritage area. [ALL of Bulahdelah Mountain Park Public Reserve is a heritage area. It is the only place in this country where the extraction of alum from alum stone (synonyms: alunite, alum) took place.]

12. Construct berm across old park access track adjacent to new noise wall and landscape. [?]

13. Delete construction of berm overlaying mine site spoil mound and maintain as a vegetated bank to avoid impacts on this area. [What the RTA describes as a ‘spoil mound’ is a MULLOCK HEAP from the only alunite processing factory in Australia.]

14. Add interpretive sign for Mine Manager’s House. [Sign 4. The SITE of the Mine Manager’s house (the house is no longer in existence).]

15. Delete additional berm and maintain area bound by path as undisturbed natural habitat (includes Bower bird nest area). [There are currently NO PATHS in the park (i.e. the Main Picnic Grounds).]

16. Playground developed around heritage themes. Area adjusted to avoid mature eucalypts, trim tree branches so no unsafe overhang.[The hideous bridge the RTA and Baulderstone Pty. Ltd. have located IN Bulahdelah Mountain Park Public Reserve provides an example of the RTA’s ‘idea’ of heritage themes (in the background in linked photograph).]

17. Clear pine trees … and privet and lantana. (Hatched)

18. Attached drawing for kiln area – interpretive sign and example of tracks with viewing area. [Sign 5. The mining artifact the RTA describes as a ‘kiln’ is a BOILER WALL.]

19. Flora/Fauna interpretive sign. [Sign 6. The RTA has destroyed individuals and colonies of over 80 (eighty) orchid species. These include the rarely found Eastern Underground Orchid, Rhizanthella slateri and the rare Cryptostylis hunteriana and Corybas [discovered by H.M.R. Rupp, now fraudulently misnamed Dowlingii after the RTA’s orchid hunter, Bill Dowling].

20. Gravel widening to existing gravel road leading to and behind parking area to allow for sight distance for vehicles reversing from car parking. [More deliberate destruction by the RTA. The existing road around the western section of Bulahdelah Mountain Park (Main Picnic Grounds) was dirt, NOT GRAVEL. There was, and presumably remains, more than ample ‘sight distance for (drivers of) vehicles reversing from car parking’.]

General: remove internal fencing. [PROOF THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN FENCED OUT OF A REGISTERED PUBLIC RESERVE.]

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9th January 2013 – Scott Street Fenced Off and Blocked to Traffic.

Scott Street which runs along the entrance to the Alum Mountain Park, has now been fenced off by RMS. Traffic cannot have access to this Street. Dangerous for people at night, who may not see this fence. Another move by RMS Project Manager Bob Higgins … . How could Great Lakes Council even support this Street closure, shows their true form as well. CORRUPT.

Scott Street fenced off and blocked to traffic (photograph taken 9-1-2013).

Scott Street was omitted from most maps in the Bulahdelah Upgrading the Pacific Highway Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). On 9-1-2013 it was fenced off and blocked to traffic.

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11th January 2013 – The Alum Mountain Park. A Criminal Act.

What used to be a sheltered Park, providing Habitat for Flora and Fauna, the Alum Mountain Park, a Registered Public Reserve, is now being heavily cleared by the RMS and AUSMULCH, making it a very open area. Already Flora and Fauna habitat has been destroyed, with still more clearing to be done. A Criminal Act.

The Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park being destroyed by Roads & Maritime Services (RMS, the RTA) and (but not limited to) AUSMULCH. Photographs taken 11-1-2013.

Roads & Maritime Services (RMS, the RTA) documentation of intended park destruction presented re. Aboriginal Focus Group meeting of 19-8-2011 claimed that the carpark was to be relocated to avoid/minimise clearing.

It appears the [employees] of AUSMULCH contracted by the RMS have destroyed Chough Habitat in the Alum Mountain Park. The poor Birds are now down in the residential area.

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23rd January 2013 – Play Equipment from the Alum Mountain Park

The children’s play equipment from the Alum Mountain Park, taken away by a navie, possibly for his own children. This equipment doesn’t look in a state of ill repair like the RMS would have people believe, it’s obviously good enough for the navvy who took it away in his private vehicle. This equipment was also initially funded by grants from NSW Heritage and Tidy Towns.

Play Equipment from the Alum Mountain Park – initially funded by government grants.

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25th January 2013 – Highway Batter now visible from park entrance

You can now see from the entrance of the Alum Mountain Park straight through to the outer batter of the highway, this is how much habitat and forest has been removed. Nothing but brutal vandalism, they deserve a jail term for doing this to a registered public reserve.

The highway batter can now be seen from entrance to the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered Public Reserve. Photograph taken 25-1-2013.

Comment

In EIS Volume 6 Technical Paper 9 Page 3-5 the RTA (now RMS) stated:-

Unlike the existing highway, the proposed Upgrade would be upslope of the two primary schools.

However, the risk associated with the potential movement of dangerous goods spills from the proposed Upgrade down the Bulahdelah (Alum) Mountain towards the schools is considered low for the following reasons:

the proposed upgrade is in cut upslope of Bulahdelah Central School and approximately 180 metres of dense vegetation exists between the school and the proposed upgrade; …

The risk of a dangerous goods spill impacting a large number of people attending school would be limited to school hours.

In the Air Quality Impact Assessment in EIS Volume 7 Technical Paper 15 the RTA stated that with the Option E route concentrations of vehicle exhaust at Bulahdelah Central School were ‘predicted’ to increase.

In removing large quantities of vegetation from the Alum Mountain Park and adjacent areas, the RTA (RMS) has knowingly and deliberately exacerbated the dangerous goods and vehicle exhaust risk factors. (And this is in addition to their having knowingly and deliberately exposed the entire township and beyond to unrestricted silica dust from rock crushing.)

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27th January 2013 – Water Runoff from the Alum Mountain

The RMS, were told about the huge amounts of water runoff that occurs on the Alum Mountain. With the removal of so many trees, including from the Park area, flooding is occurring both on the construction and in the Park itself. Are you RMS idiots listening now. You were told. I guess psychopaths don’t listen or comprehend.

In addition to water runoff over the Bulahdelah Bypass route Option E, destroyed areas of Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered Public Reserve are flooded. Photographs taken 27th January, 2013.

The Southern Lane near the Germanic metal bridge. 27th January 2013.

Looking North, near Sacred Frog Rock. 27th January 2013.

Water run off now flooding into the Alum Mountain Park. Shouldn’t have removed all that vegetation. 27th January 2013.

Adjacent to the Alum Mountain Park where a large amount of trees were removed, now flooding is occurring. 27th January 2013.

Water gushing down the road from the top of the Alum Mountain. Photographed 28th January 2013.

The Alum Mountain is a hydro-geological seepage zone plus has massive water runoff during and after heavy rain.

From the EIS (emphasis added): Technical Paper 11 – Geotechnical Characteristics of the Proposed Route – page 4-15 [‘batters’ are the man-made slopes beside roads which have been located below natural ground level]:-

It is apparent that with the parameters used in the analyses, the calculated overall factor of safety against a deep circular slip [landslip i.e. landslide] within the colluvium [the existent landslide] is acceptable for the 2 horizontal:1 vertical batter slopes providing there are low groundwater levels.

Should high groundwater levels exist, the lower bound model indicates the slope has marginal stability and would not meet the target factor of safety unless suitable stabilisation measures were taken.

Note: the RTA [RMS] conducted geotechnical investigations prior to publication of the EIS. These included the installation of monitoring wells from which water-level measurements were taken. Yet, in the above extracts from the EIS, the RTA, knowing full well that there are high groundwater levels on the Alum Mountain, stated: ‘providing there are low groundwater levels‘ and ‘should high groundwater levels exist‘.

The road leading to the top of the Alum Mountain. Water and Mud. 28th January 2013.

Walking Trail from the Top Level Car Park to the old Mining Shafts now looks like a River. 29th January 2013.

The flooded old Mining Shafts at the top of the
Alum Mountain. 29th January 2013.

More of the Landslip near the top level Car Park starts to slide again. 29th January 2013.

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30th January 2013 – Floods

The Flood waters have subsided from behind the shopping centre area, but are still very visible around the Option E construction/destruction area. Please note that the water underneath and to the sides of this portion of the new twin bridges is not the Myall River. [It is the floodplain.]

Comments

In 2008 (25th April), the flood level [across the floodplain] appears to have been much higher:

South-eastern floodplain 25th April, 2008.

The southernmost part of the south-eastern area of the floodplain was omitted from this image which was published in the Main Volume of the EIS:

Flooding of the Myall and Crawford Rivers – source: EIS Main Volume.

The 2008 flood was much higher probably 1.5 mtrs. higher.

The section of the Myall River Bridge over the floodplain (not the river) 30-1-2013.

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31st January 2013 – Southbound lane being tarred

Strong smell of tar coming down into the residential area. They are spraying tar on the South Bound Lane, bit silly when they haven’t completed the North Lane or the Median Strip, just another one of their stuff-ups.

Comment

Based on their history with this project, they’ll want their Option E[RADICATOR] to seem closer to completion than it actually is.

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31st January 2013 – Southbound lanes sealed

Half-sealed Option E with the south bound lanes being sealed, leaving the Median Strip and north bound lanes a mess. Surely they don’t plan on opening the southern lanes now – but psychopaths do weird things I suppose.

Initial sealing of southbound lanes from the northern interchange area to just south of the Germanic bridge. Photographed 31st January, 2013.

The median strip of the Bulahdelah Bypass route Option E was initially claimed by Roads & Maritime Services (RMS, formerly RTA) to be 13 metres wide. Its width was later reduced to 11 metres.

Initial sealing of southbound lanes from the northern interchange area to just south of the Germanic bridge. 31-1-2013.

Initial sealing of a section of the southbound lanes. This destruction is taking place in a Public Reserve which has been registered since 1984 and was intended to be kept in its natural state for posterity. Photographed 31st January, 2013.

2nd February 2013 – RMS your Batter is Sliding Away

Photographed 2nd February 2013 after some light rain overnight, the Batter is sliding away onto the newly sealed south bound lane of the highway. Aren’t new sections of the highway meant to be safer? Would hate to be on this section when it’s opened and in wet weather. A lot of water coming off the Alum Mountain.

Comments

The RTA – RMS – used the hazard of batter collapse as part of their ‘justification’ for the use of this (Option E) route.From the Main Volume of the EIS:-

Justification of the Proposal

… There are risks to drivers on the proposed Upgrade. There are also risks of slope failure of the colluvial [i.e. previously occurred landslide] material during both construction and the operation of the proposal. …

• Water: … In sand and clay soils, a small amount of water may increase stability. You’ve likely seen this when building a sand castle or working with clay. However, too much water causes the sediment to flow, which is why many landslides occur after rainstorms.

The mountain is on government record as unstable:-

‘Mass movement occurs on steep slopes, particularly the Alum Mountain Volcanics, which are also prone to rockfall.’ Ref. Soil Landscapes of the Dungog 1:100 000 Sheet, Department of Land and Water Conservation (DLWC), Sydney, L.E. Henderson, 2000.

RTA bureaucrats were advised of this in either 2000 or 2001. There is an existing landslide, estimated by the RTA – RMS – as being some 25 metres deep, which contains boulders from the mountain’s summit but the Landslide Risk Assessment in the EIS did not cover potential landslide/s from the mountain’s upper regions.

Truck in the Alum Mountain Park owned by AUSMINING [‘the mining arm of Ausmulch’], who were there today destroying more trees and vegetation. Photographed 4th February, 2013.

4th February 2013 – So many of the Trees have been removed from the Alum Mountain Park, you can now see straight through to the old forestry office from the Mountain Bridge. Before this latest invasion by the RMS all you could see were trees.

This area was the principal part of the ‘180 metres of dense vegetation’ the RTA (now RMS) claimed existed between Bulahdelah Central School and the Option E roadway. The now removed vegetation was utilised as a “reason” for assessing the risk associated with the potential movement of dangerous goods spills as “low”.(Ref: EIS
Volume 6 Technical Paper 9 Page 3-5.)

5th February 2013 – The top section of the Alum Mountain Park now being cleared

Comment

The area in the above photograph contained a private gravesite where the Welsh midwife Ada Jane King’s stillborn baby was buried. I’ve just uploaded two images and other documentation from the EIS. On the one hand, the RTA states that the grave/cemetery was ‘Non-Indigenous’ and on the other hand that Aboriginal land councils were to be consulted about it. The RTA also claimed that the site would not be disturbed.

Welsh midwife Ada Jane King’s Private Grave/Graveyard or Cemetery (where there may have been a sole interment, that of her own stillborn baby) was documented by the RTA and Parsons Brinkerhoff as a ‘burial ground’. Said grave was in the area known as the Alum Mountain Park (the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered Public Reserve). On page C2 of EIS Appendix C (a publicly available document) said private grave/graveyard was listed as an Indigenous heritage item, with Aboriginal land councils to be ‘consulted’ regarding ‘impact’ on the grave of a non-Aboriginal baby.

In the Main Volume of the EIS the RTA and Parsons Brinkerhoff listed Welsh midwife Ada Jane King’s Private Grave/Graveyard or Cemetery (where there may have been a sole interment, that of her own stillborn baby) as a ‘Non-Indigenous Heritage’ ‘burial ground’.

On page C2 of EIS Appendix C (a publicly available document) said private grave/graveyard was listed as an Indigenous heritage item, with Aboriginal land councils to be ‘consulted’ regarding ‘impact’ on the grave of a non-Aboriginal baby.

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7th February 2013 – Public toilets demolished

The toilets at the Alum Mountain Park have been demolished and removed by AUSMULCH – AUSMINING. A Bower Birds’ Nest was located just behind the toilets, it has been destroyed too. Photograph 7-2-2013.

7th February 2013 – The Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain registered Public Reserve cleared to the western batter

More clearing by AUSMINING. This is the top of the Alum Mountain Park where the children’s swings and playhouse were situated. They have cleared it to the Northern lane batter. The stolen Government Funded Playhouse was stolen (taken) from this area.

7th February 2013 – AUSMINING truck driver shouts abuse at resident while speeding through residential area

Sorry the photo is blurred, but it was speeding in a residential street. The truck has the Logo on it AUSMINING, and the painted picture on the truck goes with the name. This company is employed by the RMS to destroy trees and wildlife habitat in the Alum Mountain Park. The driver also called out “Retard” as he sped past breaking the 50 km speed limit; I wish they wouldn’t call themselves names like that.

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7th February 2013 – Southern lane concreted from northern interchange area to just south of Germanic bridge

RMS and Baulderstone concrete the Southern Lane along [part of] the stretch of highway below Sacred Frog Rock. This is the same piece of road that they sealed with tar late last week and some of the batter came down on.

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9th February 2013 – Blue metal gravel piled in park

Large piles of “Blue Metal Gravel” delivered and piled in the Alum Mountain Park. Haven’t they learned yet what Blue Metal Gravel does to Native Plants? “Idiots”!

Comments

Quote: [Psychopaths] are fully aware of the consequences of their actions and know the difference between right and wrong, yet they are terrifyingly self-centered, remorseless, and unable to care about the feelings of others. Perhaps most frightening, they often seem completely normal to unsuspecting targets …’.

Park will be managed by Council and an arrangement with the RTA and Council will need to be made regarding the long term maintenance. [THIS PARK IS THE MAIN PICNIC GROUNDS OF BULAHDELAH MOUNTAIN PARK REGISTERED PUBLIC RESERVE.] Council [Great Lakes Council] are tendering on some of the improvents [sic] works.

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11th February 2013 – The Alum Mountain Park – Disgrace

The Alum Mountain Park, Trees cut down, wildlife habitat removed, natural bush setting gone. Replaced by RMS IDIOTS with: Mounds of Dirt. Gravel Path leading around a pile of Woodchip, farm style gates, what more could we have asked for? RMS you are Disgraceful, Murderous Lowlife Scum. Photographs taken 11th February 2013.

The company employed by the RMS – Baulderstone to destroy trees and wildlife habitat in the Alum Mountain Park, AUSMINING. Photograph taken 12th February 2013.

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15th February 2013 – The Alum Mountain Park – Disgraceful.

What was a lovely forested picnic and recreational area the RMS have now turned into a complete bloody disgrace. Hot, Open, and a view of a Highway.

Comment

Please note the very attractive stand of trees shown in the first photo. These trees are the Camphor Laurel aka ‘The Green Cancer of the Bush’.

This is the photograph relevant to the comment: Please note the very attractive stand of trees shown in the first photo. These trees are the Camphor Laurel aka ‘The Green Cancer of the Bush’.

Comment

They’ve destroyed historic plants from the site of Mountain House, including but not limited to – far from limited to – pear and plum trees and EIS-documented lemon trees; they’ve destroyed native vegetation, including but not limited to Native Hibiscus, orchids and orchid habitat, eucalypts, including paperbarks, and a magnificent and much loved and admired Swamp Mahogany. And they’ve retained a grove of Camphor Laurel plus Asparagus Fern and non-native palms.

Camphor laurel is a declared noxious weed in a number of local government areas on the north coast and in the Sydney region.

Asparagus fern is a declared noxious weed in NSW and is also a weed of National significance.

AUSMULCH is one of the contractors involved in this brutal desecration.

Great Lakes Council was to have tendered for the destruction of this registered Public Reserve area. Ref: RTA – RMS – CIG (Community Interest Group) August, 2011, meeting notes:-

7) Mountain Park- future management.

Park will be managed by Council [i.e. GREAT LAKES COUNCIL] and an arrangement with the RTA and Council will need to be made regarding the long term maintenance. Council are tendering on some of the improvents [sic] works. …

NSW State Forests allegedly authorised this unjustifiable destruction. [Note: “In May 2012 the NSW Government announced it would make Forestry Corporation a state owned corporation (SOC). This change took effect on 1 January 2013”. The former Forests NSW is now the Forestry Corporation of New South Wales.]

The Community webpage of the alleged authoriser of this destruction, the Forestry Corporation of New South Wales, states [emphasis added]:-

Forests can be our classroom, our neighbour, our running track and our place to play. Forestry Corporation acknowledge their important role in ensuring that forests remain a safe place of wonder and joy for all of us. [Precisely what the Alum Mountain Park was.]

There are a number of programs designed to build relations between the community and their forests. These range from volunteer and education programs, conservation activities, tours and the ‘good neighbour program’ that highlights how to live next to a forest.

The Buladelah [sic] Mountain Park facilities are now managed by the RTA. Just of [sic] the Pacific Highway on the edge of Buladelah [sic] township, this site is the perfect place to stretch the legs or have a picnic. There are a number of walking trails through the forests, while a lookout at the top of the mountain offers extensive views of the Myall Lakes.

… this site is the perfect place to stretch the legs or have a picnic … asserts the Forestry Corporation of New South Wales who are allegedly complicit in its destruction.

What was a lovely forested picnic and recreational area the RMS[with the complicity of but not necessarily limited to: AUSMULCH and, allegedly, the Forestry Corporation of New South Wales] have now turned into a complete bloody disgrace.

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15th February 2013 – A piece of Blue Ribbon all that remains of the Bower Birds Nest in the Alum Mountain Park

The conglomeration of atrocities fraudulently named the Bulahdelah Bypass is not due for completion until August, 2013 – weather permitting.

It is rumoured that the RMS want to have the Southern [southbound] Lane open by Easter 2013. They still haven’t sealed it all yet, they are not even to the Bombah Point Road overpass bridge. Looks like white paint has been thrown across it in sections as well. Photograph taken 16th February 2013.

Comment

The opening of half the roadway is to hoodwink the masses into assuming that completion [of the Bulahdelah Bypass] is imminent. Completion is not due until August, 2013 – weather permitting. (Ref. RTA – RMS records.)

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23rd February 2013 – RMS-caused Flooding

The RMS stated they would improve drainage for the town. Not off to a good start. The Alum Mountain Park, Scott Street and the rear of the Forestry have never flooded before. Once again the RMS have shown what complete ignorant idiots they are. With all the trees removed from the Alum Mountain Park now there is nothing to help soak up the water.

Side entrance to the Alum Mountain Park flooded
and water running towards Scott Street.

Scott Street Bulahdelah. Flooded from water
runoff coming from the Alum Mountain Park after the RMS removed so many trees.

The Alum Mountain Park. 23-2-2013.

Flooding from water runoff coming from the Alum Mountain Park after the RMS removed numerous trees and other vegetation has caused trees downhill from the park to fall.

Just as well there wasn’t traffic in the path of this tree. [Comment by Bulahdelah Bypass network.]

Tree fallen over to the rear of a Forestry House. Masses of water runoff from the Alum Mountain Park and Scott Street helped this tree on its way.

The top end of the Alum Mountain Park, never flooded like this before when there were Trees and a Play Centre there. 23-2-2013.

Water gushing down the Rock Cliff on the top of the Alum Mountain. Photographed Saturday, 23rd February 2013.

Flooding in the Tunnel Quarry Mine and Tunnel Walk. 23-2-2013. Note added by Bulahdelah Bypass network: this tunnel did not flood prior to Roads & Maritime Services (formerly RTA) blasting south of Bulahdelah at and north ofNerong.

The water runoff from the mountain’s heights does not only travel over the surface; it also seeps underground, exacerbating existing landslide and mudslide risks.

Water bubbling up from beneath the surface on the Road leading to the top of the Alum Mountain. Would hate to be working below when it decides to release itself. 21-2-2013.

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There is a huge amount of water that has built up on the edges of the road on the twin bridges. Sure would hate to hit that at 110 km even 80 km would be bad. I can see many cars going for a slide in wet weather when this is opened. (Photographed 23rd February 2013.)

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24th February 2013 – Minor flooding

The new highway approaching the twin bridges
over the Myall River. 24-2-2013.

Think they need to build the bridge approach a bit higher, it will never take a big flood. This is the area that keeps sinking on them too.

… As shown in Figure 7.9 the largest reported flood at Bulahdelah occurred in 1897, reaching a level of 5.5 metres Australian Height Datum (ADH) at the existing Myall River Bridge. This flood is estimated to have a magnitude consistent with a 1-in-100-year flood event.

Extract from Page 5.13 EIS Main Volume:

[Emphasis added]: The alignment would remain level across the floodplain to maintain 1-in-100 year flood immunity. Embankments would on average be about 3 metres high across the floodplain …

Figure 5.5 Cross-section on the Floodplain EIS Main Volume Page 5.13

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24th February 2013 – The Tunnel Walk through Quarry still flooding

Approx 1.5 metres of water now in the tunnel.24-2-2013

This mass of water is approximately 170 metres above Bulahdelah’s shopping centre and above a large public school and residences. It is approximately 140 metres above that part of the Option E roadway which has been located in an existing landslide. [Comment by Bulahdelah Bypass network.]

Water runoff down the mountain road – the only vehicular access to the top car park and lookouts 2-3-2013.

Much of this will be due to the destruction of the mountain’s mid- and upper-slope vegetation in the deliberately lit fires of 2003 and 2009 plus the flooding in the quarry which was damaged by the (then) RTA’s ‘Karuah to Bulahdelah’ ‘upgrade’ blasting at and near Nerong in 2008.

The noise of this water gushing down the road is so loud almost deafening. Having to walk through it is frightening, the water certainly has a force behind it.

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Still from the YouTube video: The Alum Mountain Bulahdelah NSW – Water Runoff – 2nd March 2013.

Video description: The Alum Mountain water runoff 2nd March 2013 is a very rare sight, never before has this happened on the Alum Mountain until the invasion of the RMS with their Blasting, Removing Trees and Vegetation and Machinery Vibration. All of these activities by the RMS and Baulderstone have contributed greatly to the weakening of the Alum Mountain. This water runoff has occurred during [only] two days of rain. In the past years Bulahdelah has had the same amount and more, never before has this water runoff happened on the Alum Mountain as heavy and severe as this. Another environmental disaster caused by the RMS.

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2nd March 2013 – Mud Slide Along the Tunnel Walk

A Mud Slide and Tree Fall has happened in the Tunnel Walk on the Alum Mountain. A large Gum Tree has blocked the walking trail and a Mud Slide has come down past the fallen tree taking an entire bank from the top to the bottom on the right hand side of the trail. This walk is now fully blocked off by Fallen Trees, Mud Slide and previous Land Slips.

Mudslide in the Tunnel Walk 2-3-2013.

Mudslide in the Tunnel Walk 2-3-2013.

A large tree has come down with the mudslide and is blocking the walking trail.

Walking trail blocked by fallen tree 2-3-2013.

Flooding from the Tunnel Walk running into the Carpark area – 2nd March 2013.

The tunnel access into the quarry is completely under water 2-3-2013.

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3rd March 2013 – The Alum Mountain Road after the massive Water Runoff

Damage to Mountain Road, the only vehicular access to Bulahdelah (the Alum) Mountain’s upper regions and lookouts. Photographed 3-3-2013.

Mountain Road 3-3-2013.

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3rd March 2013 – Flooding In & Around Bulahdelah

From the Report on the Value Management Workshop which was held on 29th & 30th August, 2000 [emphasis added]:-

Option A [a real bypass]

What’s good is that it:-

… Will not contribute to increased flooding conditions in Bulahdelah … (page 25).

Option E [the route being used by RMS]

What’s not so good is that it:-

… Has a potential adverse impact on flood levels… (page 29).

Stroud Street, Bulahdelah, 3-3-2013, after only a few days of rain, only two with heavy rainfall.

The EIS Summary states (page S.27): The proposed bridge over the Myall River and the construction of the embankment of the Upgrade across the floodplain would result in afflux during flood events. ‘Afflux’ is the increased water level upstream of a constriction in flow, like a bridge or culvert.

Flood water pretty close to the edge of their new road.

The floodplain through which Roads & Maritime Services (RMS – formerly the RTA) chose to locate the “Bulahdelah upgrade” is directly downstream of the confluence of two rivers. [Comment by Bulahdelah Bypass network.]

Won’t take a lot more rain to go over the new twin bridge approach. This Bridge sure has a lot of bends in it, come around one of those bends at high speed and end up in the river –3-3-2013

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Under the terms of Lend Lease subsidiary Baulderstone’s ‘Bulahdelah Bypass’ licence (no. 12993 – applied for approximately 12 months prior to the Call for Tenders) NO ‘work’ is to be carried out on Sundays or public holidays.

SUNDAY 3rd March 2013 1 p.m. A Baulderstone employee, working on a Sunday at 1 p.m. on the Twin Bridge with a Motor running which sounded like a Water Pump. Looks like there could have been a build up of water under his truck. Maybe he was pumping water of a flooded twin bridge. Just a thought.

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3rd March 2013 – Newest Landslip & Mudslide on the Alum Mountain

Images of the Landslip and Mudslide that occurred in the Tunnel Walk on the Alum Mountain sometime during the night on the 1st March 2013.

4th March 2013 – The Booking Office for Getaway House Boats Bulahdelah[after only a few days of rain, only two of which had heavy downpours].

The proposed bridge over the Myall River and the construction of the embankment of the Upgrade across the floodplain would result in afflux during flood events. ‘Afflux’ is the increased water level upstream of a constriction in flow, like a bridge or culvert. (Ref: EIS Summary – Page S.27.)

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7th March 2013 – MoreTunnel Walk Landslide Documentation

Photographs taken 7th March 2013 of the Landslide that occurred in the Tunnel Walk on the Alum Mountain on the 3rd March 2013.

Even the mini Tornado that swept through in the 1960’s never caused this amount of damage. The landslips and flooding on the Alum Mountain only started when the RMS started Testing, Vibrating and Blasting.

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15th March 2013 – Water runoff continues after days of no rain

This is on the new power-line easement road, above the highway cut and below the road leading up to the Alum Mountain, approx above Sacred Frog Rock. Even after days of no rain water is still finding its way down from the Mountain, to the highway cut and down into the residential area. Photographed 11th March, 2013.

The southbound lane on 15-3-2013. Completion of this dangerous route is not due until August, 2013 – weather permitting.

I have been told that when the RMS open the Southern Bound Lane for Easter that the North Bound Traffic will use it at the beginning of Easter and the South Bound traffic will use it at the end of Easter. After Easter apparently the RMS will close this section again for further work. Sounds a bit of a lost cause, but what else can you expect from the RMS.

NBN News (12/3/’13) – spreading Roads & Maritime [DIS]Services’ propaganda: ‘The 8.6-kilometre bypass was due to open by Easter, but persistent wet weather and resource shortages have delayed the opening until June’.

“The so-called ‘major construction’ period is three years – weather permitting”.

PART OF BULAHDELAH BYPASS TO OPEN

Part of the $315-million [$315 million is major construction cost only]Pacific Highway bypass at Bulahdelah will open at the end of the month, to help ease congestion for Easter and school holiday traffic.

The temporary measures will see two north-bound lanes created by diverting traffic onto one of the new bypass lanes.

South-bound traffic will still be restricted to one lane through the town.

The 8.6-kilometre bypass was due to open by Easter [IT WAS NOT], but persistent wet weather and resource shortages have delayed the opening until June.

The section of the Option E roadway which is located in materials from a massive previously-occurred landslide is directly beneath this and the rockfall-prone sub-vertical cliffs at the southern end of the mountain.

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23rd March 2013 – Lines Painted & Ready for Accidents.

Looking North from the Alum Mountain Bridge. 23-3-2013.

Looking North past Sacred Frog Rock. 23-3-2013.

Looking South towards Bombah Point Road and the
Dangerous Bend. 23-3-2013.

80 KPH Speed Signs put up today, 23rd March 2013.

The Southbound Lanes of the Dangerous Option E, Pacific Highway, Bulahdelah, NSW, are due to be opened this coming Wednesday, 27th March 2013.

The two lanes on this DANGEROUS upgrade will carry the Northbound traffic for the start of the Easter Holidays and the Southbound traffic for the end of the Easter Holidays.

RMS making highways more dangerous for you.

If you travel along this highway this Easter, please watch out for Rock/Boulder Falls, Landslides, Mudslips and DANGEROUS sharp bends.

Look how narrow this is – nowhere to go if you need to get out of the way of another vehicle or object on the road. … How many people will be involved in accidents and fatalities because of this.

A few years back there was a television news report about the cost of accidents on the upgraded stretches of Pacific Highway. $60 million was the amount quoted. With the multiple hazards on this route, it’s likely to meet that figure in no time flat.

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23rd March 2013 – Looking South from Sacred Frog Rock to the Dangerous Bend near Bombah Point Road

This dangerous roadway has been built within Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered public reserve.

The RMS [should] apologize for misleading the public into thinking they care about the Alum Mountain by naming this Bridge “Alum Mountain Trail”. What they [probably] really wanted to name this bridge was:
“The Metal Germanic Bridge Over the Scar of Mass Desecration”.

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27th March 2013 – Temporary Traffic Arrangements for Easter and the School Holiday periods

… over the Easter and school holiday periods, temporary traffic changes will be in place.

Easter traffic changes

From Wednesday 27 March 2013 to Sunday 31 March 2013, two lanes of northbound traffic will be switched onto one of the new carriageways … . During this period, one lane of southbound traffic will continue through the Bulahdelah township.

From Sunday 31 March 2013 to Tuesday 2 April 2013, the highway traffic flows will be reversed with two lanes of southbound traffic using two lanes of the new bypass and one lane of northbound traffic will travel through Bulahdelah.

Motorists will still be able to access Bulahdelah from the north and south.

After Easter, highway traffic will continue through Bulahdelah to allow work to continue on the bypass.

Comments – 27th March 2013

11.50 a.m. Still not open yet. Wednesday 27th March 2013.

The two South Bound Lanes opened at 2.30 this afternoon. Now when will the first accident happen?

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29th March 2013 – Northbound traffic using the southbound lanes

Travelling on a roadway built through colluvium (materials from a previously-occurred landslide/s) with approximately 250 metres of landslide- and rockfall-prone mountain above.

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31st March 2013 – traffic direction switch in the southbound lanes

This stretch of temporarily opened Bulahdelah Bypass has a current speed limit of 80 kph. The brake lights and the all too short distance between several of the vehicles are indicative that it’s already being treated as a speedway by some drivers.

The southern lanes of the Option E route were closed to the north bound traffic at about 9.30 a.m. this morning. At around 1.30 p.m. it re-opened for the traffic travelling south to use. The same switch will happen for the start and end of the school holidays. Only an idiot could come up with this. Didn’t even need it, Easter traffic was very minimal this year.

Comments

If you also look to the right of this photo where the grey gravel is, this is an area that keeps sinking.

The area that has been reported as continuously sinking is also in the area of the *B8 aboriginal stone scatter.

* The B8 (Bulahdelah 8) Aboriginal – Worimi – Stone Artifact Scatter

The local Aboriginal nation is Worimi. Even with insufficient research, the RTA-employed company, Navin Officer heritage consultants, therefore the RTA, assessed the stone artifact scatter titled Bulahdelah 8 as being of moderate to high significance to the Worimi Nation.

‘Stone artefact scatter B8 has high potential to be larger, to contain more than the recorded number of artefacts, and moderate potential for subsurface material, some of which may be relatively undisturbed or in situ. These characteristics provide the site with considerable archaeological potential. The [B8] site location, on a basal spurline of Bulahdelah (Alum) Mountain, adjacent to the Myall River, similarly presents research potential. *[i.e. The B8 Aboriginalartifact scatter site, which would be obliterated with the use of Option E, had not been fully researched.]*The archaeology of Bulahdelah (Alum) Mountain remains largely uninvestigated and there are many possible research themes including: the exploitation of its rhyolite stone resources, and its role within the broader Aboriginal cultural landscape. Based on the present evidence, this site is assessed as having moderate to high significance within a local context’.

‘… Additional artefacts (around 10-15) were visible at the site in 2002 and the scatter, which was previously recorded at the bend in the transmission line, is now known to occur across whole spurline shoulder to the southwest of transmission line’. (EIS Volume 7 Technical Papers 13 to 16 Page 20 – emphasis added.)

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In relation to 29th March 2013 – Northbound traffic using the southbound lanes of the Bulahdelah Option E route for the start of the Easter long weekend:-

It is rumoured that these lanes are only temporary and will be ripped up because of the use of green cement. If this is true what a total waste of tax payers money. This was obviously only done so RMS could say that they are on track with construction. Of course they won’t care about the extra money it will cost to rip up and construct again. Sorry if I let your secret out Mr. Higgins, but yes I do have friends working within Baulderstone.

The rumoured cost of ripping this up and replacing is $9 million.

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Proposal to turn Bulahdelah into a city.

Professor Richard Weller and Dr. Julian Bolleter, from the Australian Urban Design Research Centre, Perth, Western Australia, propose building three new cities along the east coast of New South Wales, including ‘‘New City X3’’ – an urban settlement shown in the area currently occupied by the 1500 residents of Bulahdelah. (Ref. POLL: Big city vision for Bulahdelah – Newcastle Herald article published 1-4-2013.)

A sub-article, REALITY BITES AS TOWN FEELS PINCH OF NEW BYPASS, by Jason Gordon, reports business owners as being “shellshocked” [sic] and “astounded” by the impact of the temporarily opened southbound lanes. Excerpts:-

JUST a week ago, the bistro of *Bulahdelah’s Plough Inn was packed with travellers who’d stopped in for a meal. Yesterday it was empty.

It was a scene repeated throughout the picturesque hamlet as the reality of the new Bulahdelah bypass settled on the town and its shellshocked business owners. …

Even with northbound traffic still travelling through Bulahdelah yesterday, the impact astounded the town’s business owners.

Graham Reddon has run The Plough Inn at Bulahdelah for about **12 years. Yesterday morning, he was hoping the hotel’s bistro would ‘‘go off’’ at lunchtime. It didn’t, with only a handful of people wandering in for a drink or a feed.

*Just after 12.30 a.m. on Saturday, 28th March, 2009, (**approximately four years ago, when, according to the REALITY BITES AS TOWN FEELS PINCH OF NEW BYPASSarticle, the Plough Inn hotel, Bulahdelah, was being “run” by Graham Reddon) two van-loads of ruffians were delivered to a residence near the Alum Mountain Park. Approximately half of the thugs went to said park where they invaded the Bulahdelah Aboriginal Tent Embassy and assaulted the occupants. The van which transported said thugs was owned (or leased) by the Plough Inn hotel, Bulahdelah. Additional information is at the NSW – International Criminal Court Material page of this site.

Comment

Bulahdelah’s “shellshocked business owners”. Shell-shocked??? What did they expect? I can’t believe how STUPID your townspeople are! (well I can, seeing as mine aren’t much better…) The tragedy is that there is now NOWHERE for travellers to go for a peaceful picnic lunch to break their trip, as the famous Mountain Park, that would have provided such a tranquil retreat had Option A been chosen, is now so severely degraded, no-one will want to sojourn there.

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3rd April 2013 – the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered Public Reserve – Destruction Still Under Construction

The RMS promised new Toilets for the Alum Mountain Park. Looks like we got what their budget could afford, especially if the rumour is true that they have to dig up and reseal the newly sealed southern lanes, that is rumoured to be $9 million.

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3rd April 2013 – Park flooded again after just one shower of rain

After one heavy shower of rain, the Alum Mountain Park has flooded again running out of the park, across Scott Street and onto the Forestry Office back yard.

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3rd April 2013 – After one heavy shower of rain the Alum Mountain Road is flooding again

Just one heavy show of rain and water is streaming down the landslide and rockfall prone mountain to where motorists will be travelling through a previously-occurred landslide. 3-4-2013.

Massive potholes have formed in the road to the mountain’s upper regions. 3-4-2013.

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3rd April 2013 – the subsiding section of the northbound lane in the vicinity of the significant Worimi stone artifact scatter continues to sink

After one heavy shower of rain, looks like the northbound lane still under construction has sunk, again.

This is just to the Bombah Point Road side of the Alum Mountain Metal Bridge. 3-4-2013.

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6th April 2013 – Imported blue metal washing into bush

Collapsed Healing Stream barrier 6-4-2013.

The barrier didn’t hold that runs over the Healing Stream on the new Power Line Easement. Now Blue Metal is invading into the bush.

The catchment pond for water from the Healing Stream and being piped under the highway. Probably what is causing the water running out of the Alum Mountain Park and flooding Scott Street and the rear of the Forestry Office when it rains.

Earlier today the road leading to the Alum Mountain was dry. At around 2.30 p.m. this afternoon it rained for about half an hour, not particularly heavy. The photographs are of the road after the rain. This has never happened before previous to RMS blasting and vibrating the Alum Mountain. 6-4-2013.

9th April 2013 – Northbound lanes north of the park-area bridge being cut deeper

North of the Metal Bridge near the Alum Mountain Park. Looks really boggy and they are cutting down even more.

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9th April 2013 – Further destruction – concreting – of the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered Public Reserve delayed by rain

Looks like rain stopped the concreting of the paths in the Alum Mountain Park, again…….

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10th April 2013 – Further destruction – concreting – of the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered Public Reserve under way

The Future Management Conditions (1984) of this reserve included: The main aim of management of this Reserve, namely preserving for all time the natural condition of the Reserve, must be kept in mind when any future development or treatment of the Reserve is considered. (Further future management conditions at the Heritage & Culture – Multicultural – Wanton Destruction page of this site.)

Some of the paths have been concreted in the Alum Mountain Park. Nothing natural looking about the Park now. SICKOS.

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Thursday 11th April 2013 – The Myall Coast Nota – Nerong Residents vow to fight the RMS over damage to their homes during blasting

This article wrongly states that the damaged was caused during blasting for the Bulahdelah Bypass. The damages to these people’s homes was caused by blasting at and near Nerong during the Karuah to Bulahdelah ‘upgrade’.

When blasting was taking place in that area, some 6 to 10 kilometres south of Bulahdelah, it was so extreme that numerous boulders were dislodged from the cliffs of Bulahdelah (the Alum) Mountain. Documentation of said boulder-falls was sent to Lee Rhiannon and the then ‘local’ National Party MP John Turner. There is also some documentation here.

NERONG residents who claim their homes were damaged during blasting for the Bulahdelah Bypass are continuing to fight for compensation from the Roads and Maritime Service [sic] (RMS).

People from 15 households in Nerong are complaining that their properties were damaged by blasting, which took place on the highway during a 12-month period between 2007 and 2008.

Complaints include leaking and collapsing roofs, cracked tiles and driveways and broken water tanks.

Resident Bruce Johnson said he had to pay $4000 to have his roof repaired after the blasting.

“They cracked all he cement in the ridges on the roof and we had 28 broken tiles, plus cracks in the bathroom,” he said.

“We’ve had about three so-called ‘independent’ consultants from the RTA come out but they said it was nothing to do with them, that it was natural subsidence.

“It didn’t start subsiding until they started blasting.”

Resident Michael Snell said his ceiling began separating at the joints and falling down.

“I’ve done DIY jobs just to keep the house together,” he said.

Glenn Galas, who had cracks to his roof and driveway, said he had been fighting to be reimbursed for the damage since “day one”.

“If you damage property you’ve got [to] be held accountable for it,” he said.

“I will not stop fighting.”

The RMS said after these concerns were raised back in 2009 three separate assessments were carried out by external assessors including the contractor, an insurance assessor and a specialist appointed by the former Department of Planning.

These assessments were compared with previous assessments carried out before the blasting for the Bulahdelah Bypass.

“All of the reviews found damage could not be attributed to the blasting operations and no compensation or repairs were due to the applicants,” a RMS spokesperson said.

“RMS will consider any further feedback or new compensation applications from residents.”

N.B. There is a facebook group, RTA – RMS – Highway Upgrade Victims, available for adversely affected people and those who support them to provide the public with accurate information.

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12th April 2013 – Great Lakes Council ensures that some travellers will not return

Due the manner and timing of Great Lakes Council’s ‘urban design’ scheme, people who have driven in to Bulahdelah’s shopping centre are being forced to drive back to the highway because there’s nowhere for them to park.

The road, kerb and footpaths are extremely hazardous for pedestrians.

Friday, 12th April 2013 – the commencement of school holidays – some shopkeepers are concerned about loss of income – the RTA has documented that with the Option E route it would take *“approximately 20 years for stopping traffic to reach pre-bypass levels in Bulahdelah” – and this is what Great Lakes Council does to Bulahdelah’s shopping centre. *Ref: RTA response to the then DIPNR EIS Responses 5. s.4.3.2 (p. 4-25)

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13th April 2013 – School holiday traffic at 2.00 p.m.

At 2 p.m. hardly any traffic using the highway at all, though last night seemed busy.

School holiday traffic south of the Myall River at 2.00 p.m. 13-4-2013.

School holiday traffic north of the Myall River at 2.00 p.m. 13-4-2013.

The Option E route was agreed to by Value Management Workshop (VMW, 29th & 30th August, 2000) attendees [listed here] as a “compromise” despite their being aware that it was not as safe for road users as Option A (to the west of the township).

Option evaluations for Options A (to the west of the township) and E (through the mid-slopes of Bulahdelah – the Alum – Mountain) – extracted from pages 30 & 31 of the Value Management Workshop Report. Option A was evaluated as “EXCELLENT” for “Improving safety for all road users”; Option E was merely “VERY GOOD”. (The criteria allocations are in bold typeface.)

What a difficult design job that must have been. Shows how dedicated they were in their appointed task to target Boolah Dillah, the Sacred Mountain.

On the pretext of making the Pacific Highway at Bulahdelah “safer” with the Option E route(through landslide materials on the mid-slopes of an unstable mountain), Roads & Maritime Services (RMS – previously known as the RTA) has (but not limited to): fraudulently acquired land within a registered publicreserve; destroyedAboriginal(Worimi) andmulticulturalheritage of world significance; damaged people’s homes whenblasting (much – but not all – of the damage was caused during blasting of the immense cutting at the foot of the above photograph);anddry-crushedrock, spreading acid-sulphate and silica dust throughout Bulahdelah township.

Screen capture from the RTA’s (now RMS) Blasting Bulahdelahvideo clip – later deleted by RMS – of the first ‘Cut 2‘ blast (24-1-2011) of the Alum Mountain’s mid-slopes.“The navvies can be heard laughing – while thick clouds of white
crystalline silica dust head in their direction.”(Comment at Save the Alum Sacred Mountain, Bulahdelah)

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16th April 2013 – further destruction of the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered Public Reserve

The delivery of materials for this illegal (in a Public Reserve) destruction had ill effects for residents:-

For the record: 1.07 p.m. Tuesday, 16th April, 2013: There have been large trucks, including a cement truck (or trucks), travelling to and from the Alum Mountain Park through Bulahdelah’s residential area all day. Vibrations coming from the park area are very strong and causing nausea and head pain. The air outside and in the house is full of diesel fumes.

1.53 p.m. Tuesday, 15th April, 2013: A large truck has been being driven back and forth in front of my house for the past quarter of an hour or so. I have just gone outside and photographed it.

Psychopaths have no understanding of aesthetics. … And I wonder how much this particular complete lack of understanding of aesthetics has added to the cost blow-outs of the Option E route.

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17th April 2013 – Excavation taking place in the northbound lanes adjacent to the northern end of the Myall River bridges

Just off the Northern End of the Twin Bridges. 17-4-2013.

Comments

When is it due to be opened?

August this year – depending on the weather. Or perhaps that should be ‘whether’ – depending on whether or not they continue to encounter difficulties with the route the RTA – RMS – knew in the year 2000/’01 was the most geotechnically difficult.

… We aim to provide exceptional staff and equipment to ensure the most efficient delivery of pumping concrete to the satisfaction of all customers whilst adhering to rigorous industry guidelines relating to safe work practices and environmental care.

The Company Profile lists projects in which Hunter Valley Concrete Pumping Service has been involved [emphasis added]:-

•Abi Group with the Pacific Highway upgrades from Newcastle to Bulahdelah [As at 17th April, 2013, residents of Nerong are still awaiting compensation for property damage caused by the RTA and Abigroup.]

Australian Native Landscapes just drove to the Alum Mountain Park, drove back down in the residential area, and now noisily reversing back up to the Alum Mountain Park. RMS certainly use a lot of different companies for their destruction of Heritage items and Registered Public Reserves.

Australian Native Landscapes (ANL) – complicit in the destruction of the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered Public Reserve. The natural condition of the reserve was intended to be preserved ‘for all time’. (Ref. Forestry Commission 1984.) (ANL vehicle photographed 19/4/’13.)

Quote from ANLCompany History (emphasis added): In its almost 40 years, the company has maintained its commitment to providing quality sales and service, still strongly driven by its first motto, “Working in the interests of a better environment“.

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19th April 2013 – The path in the Alum Mountain Park

The natural condition of the reserve was intended to be preserved ‘for all time’. (Ref. Forestry Commission 1984.)

The path in the Alum Mountain Park – it has as many bends in it as the highway has.

It must be so they can passively survey the toilet entry from the park area. They’re “sickos” alright.

Item 7 of RTA – RMS notification (below) to the Australian Government in relation to an s.10 application for protection of the park under Commonwealth law (emphasis added): 7. Modify footpath to toilet to suit new position and to provide for passive surveillance of toilet entry from park area. (There were no existing footpaths in the park.)

In RTA Newsletters 3 & 4 the RTA advertised that the park would not be affected.

In RTA, PPK Newsletter 3 the RTA stated: Highway moved to the east ofBulahdelah Mountain Park.

Scans of RTA, PPK Newsletters are available at theScans of Documentspageof this site.

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19th April 2013 – Geotech Cloth and gravel

Geotech Cloth and gravel will really help where the road keeps sinking………..Until it rains again. FOOLS.

Geotech Cloth and gravel 19-4-2013.

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20th April 2013 – Acid rock drainage risk to Ramsar wetland

After 35 minutes of Moderate to Heavy Rain, this is the water running down the road from the Alum Mountain, finding its way into the residential area and eventually the Myall River.

The Myall River is the main artery of one of the largest coastal lakes systems in New South Wales, the Myall Lakes. An internationally significant (Ramsar) wetland (Ramsar site no. 994), the lakes are a popular tourist destination with water-based recreational activities, including fishing.

Acid water … affects the health of fish and other aquatic life through damage to the skin and gills. Skin damage increases the susceptibility of fish to fungal infections which may lead to diseases such as epizootic ulcerative syndrome, also known as ‘red spot disease’. Gill and skin damage reduce the ability of fish to take in oxygen or regulate their intake of salts and water.[Ref: The Department of Primary Industries.]

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22nd April 2013 – Yet another landslide!

A fresh landslide has come down in the Tunnel Walk at the top of the Alum Mountain. Too much vibration from the RMS working below and the previous blasting activities are taking their toll on the Mountain.

Despite the existence of an already-occurred landslide (“colluvium” – where the roadway is being located), the environmental impact statement’s Landslide Risk Assessment contained no assessment whatsoever of the risks of landslides from the mountain’s upper regions.

The report on Colluvium Area (Cut 4) Stability (Parsons Brinckerhoff 2004a) considered that the proposed cutting through the colluvium presented the following potential hazards for the proposed Upgrade and adjacent houses:

The mountain is recorded in Soil Landscapes of the Dungog 1:100 000 Sheet – Department of Land and Water Conservation, Sydney. L.E. Henderson, 2000, as being “particularly prone to mass movement [landslides]and rockfall [boulder falls]”.

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24th April 2013 – Southbound lanes opened for northbound traffic at 2.30 p.m.

At 2.30 p.m. they opened up the Southbound lanes again on the Alum Mountain. It was meant to be used for Southbound traffic at the end of the holidays, but they have Northbound traffic using it.

The roadway was initially intended to be ten metres below ground level in this area (between the picnic and sports recreation areas *in* the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered Public Reserve).

The Air Quality Impact Assessment in Volume 7 Technical Paper 15 of the EIS states that Option E was predicted to cause an increase in concentrations of vehicle exhaust ‘at Bulahdelah Central School, located between Meade Street and Church Street’.

With the combination of: the roadway now being elevated above the park’s picnic area, the public mass schooling institution and surrounding residences; the removal of vegetation from the park; and the ‘gap in the sound wall’, vehicle exhaust concentrations will be further increased.

And just as rock-crushing was carried out without the dust being watered down at all and the rock-crusher was moved to a location at a level above the public school at the end of the April, 2012, school holidays, it’s all absolutely intentional.

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24th April 2013 – Yet another dangerous bend!

The Option E roadway on the southern side of the Northern Interchange Wednesday, 24th April, 2013.

There are dangerous bends along almost the entire route. EIS documentation shows that it fails to meet motorway criteria on at least three counts – not taking bends into account, based on the hill-slopes alone. This route (Option E) is so dangerous that it shouldn’t have even reached the EIS stage.

The size of the Northern Interchange was questioned by the Department of Planning (the then DIPNR) in their response to the Submissions Report.

The notes of Focus Group Meeting No. 13 (18/12/2002) state: The design of the northern interchange has been modified. It is now a large single roundabout with two bridges over the highway. (This design style was originally suggested by Anthony Dorney.) [A timber mill operator.]

There are six access – access/egress – points on the Northern Interchange.

5th May 2013 – Starting to tar the Northern[northbound]Lanes, up to the part that keeps sinking

One of the numerous dangerous bends in the “corruptly processed and fraudulently named” Bulahdelah Bypass.

This particular ‘part that keeps sinking’ is in the vicinity of where a significant Aboriginal (Worimi) artifact scatter was destroyed by Roads & Maritime Services (RMS – the RTA) and Lend Lease subsidiary Baulderstone.

Tarring of the northbound lanes around a dangerous bend at the crest of a hill. 5-5-2013.

The northbound lanes are as yet untarred in this section of Bulahdelah Bypass being constructed through dedicated Public Land – Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered Public Reserve. 5-5-2-013.

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5th May 2013 – The Bowerbirds’ “nest” area after destruction by Roads & Maritime Services

The Bowerbirds’ “nest” area the RTA (RMS) claimed would remain “undisturbed”. 5-5-2013.

Broken rocks from which *lethal dust was produced and the mounds in the other photographs indeed looking like “burial mounds”. This appears to me to be some sort of symbolism.

Title: RTA (NSW Roads & Traffic Authority) KILLING Bulahdelah. See the Rock Breaking and Crushing activities being carried out by the RTA (RMS) and Baulderstone Pty. Ltd., a Lend Lease subsidiary, on the Alum Mountain. See the deadly silica dust blowing towards the township of Bulahdelah.

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9th May 2013 – Road pavement being laid in the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered Public Reserve

Laying the concrete over the northbound lanes [within the registered Public Reserve]on the northern side of the Metal Bridge [within the Public Reserve’s Main Picnic Grounds].

Northbound lanes paved between the “open field for games/sport” and the picnicking area of Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered Public Reserve’s Main Picnic Grounds.

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10th May 2013 – Pavement to south and north of the RMS bridge located in the Public Reserve’s Main Picnic Grounds

Concreted up to [the bridge to the Alum Mountain road], dug a trench and carried on concreting from the Southern side of the bridge. I know they had a lot of trouble with the height under the bridge, still seems to be very low.

… dug a trench and carried on concreting from the Southern side of the bridge.

11th May 2013 – Bulahdelah’s parking and tripping nightmare – courtesy of Great Lakes Council

With the RMS invading and destroying the Alum Mountain, we also have Great Lakes Council invading and taking over the Main Street, Stroud Street, Shopping Centre. Parking a nightmare, new footpaths with wide joining cracks. Welcome to Bulahdelah. Destruction all around.

Great Lakes Council has certainly made the Footpath in the Shopping Centre a tripping hazard.

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15th May 2013 – Still looks like a lot of work to do to the south

Photographed from the top of the Alum Mountain 15-5-2013.

The Myall River bridges and floodplain embankments in the high risk area of ‘the nastiest soils on earth’. As per the Submissions Report, said high risk area was omitted from the Key Biophysical Constraints map in Figure 3.6, page 3.13 of the EIS Main Volume. Comment by Bulahdelah Bypass Network

Comment by Bulahdelah Bypass Network:-

Extract from Page 5.13 Bulahdelah Upgrading the Pacific Highway Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Main Volume (emphasis added): The alignment would remain level across the floodplain to maintain 1-in-100 year flood immunity. Embankments would on average be about3 metreshigh across the floodplain …

Extract from Page 7.17 EIS Main Volume (emphasis added): Flooding … As shown in Figure 7.9 the largest reported flood at Bulahdelah occurred in 1897, reaching a level of 5.5 metres Australian Height Datum (ADH) at the existing Myall River Bridge. This flood is estimated to have a magnitude consistent with a 1-in-100-year flood event.

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18th May 2013 – Concreting the side gutters

Concreting the side gutters.

To catch all the water runoff.

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The existing landslide in which this roadway is being built is described in the EIS as “a substantial zone of unstable ground(colluvium)“.
(Ref: Page 3-11 Technical Paper 4 EIS Volume 3.) Note: Example only. The above section of roadway is a little to the south of colluvial (landslide) material as depicted in EIS Volume 6 Technical Paper 11. However, according to said EIS documentation, although not located within colluvial material, this part of the roadway is downslope from it. This is the case with the entire mountain section of the Option E route. This comment and the following Bulahdelah Bypass Existing Landslide information by Bulahdelah Bypass Network.

Bulahdelah Bypass Existing Landslide

In Volume 3 of the Bulahdelah Upgrading the Pacific Highway Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) the area of earlier landslide is described as follows (emphasis added):-

The colluvium consists of large boulders, smaller rockandclay,which isthe result of an ancient landslide. EIS Volume 3 Appendix A Page 5.

The colluvium is up to 25 metres deepand has an acceptable calculated factor of safety in its current state. EIS Volume 3 Appendix A Page 5.

There is a large area of colluvium on the lower slopes [the Option E route is through the mountain’s mid-slopes] north of the Bulahdelah (Alum) Mountain Park … The area of colluvium extends approximately 400 metres alongthe route alignmentand approximately 500 metres from the back of houses on the eastern side of Bulahdelah up the mountain. The approximate location of colluvium is shown in Figure 2.1 [see below]in the main body of this Technical Paper. EIS Volume 3 Appendix A Page 5.

In Volume 3 of the EIS the colluvial zone is depicted as a Key Biophysical Environmental Constraint as follows:-

Figure 2.1 Key Biophysical Environmental Constraints EIS Volume 3 Technical Paper 4 (page 2-4). The colluvial area is depicted as a green-stripedoval shape extending from approximately half-way between Meade and Blanch Streets at its southernmost extremity to approximately three quarters of a block past Blanch Street. Its northernmost extremity is depicted as being over a kilometre south of the Northern Interchange.

In the Main Volume of the EIS the colluvial zone is depicted as follows:-

Figure 7.11 Inferred Boundary of Colluvium EIS Main Volume.

In Volume 6 of the EIS the colluvial zone is depicted in Figure 4.1 of Technical Paper 11 as follows:-

Figure 4.1 Inferred Boundary of Ancient Landslide EIS Volume 6 Technical Paper 11 (page 4-5). The colluvial area is depicted as extending from south of Meade Street to Jackson Street (the latter street being omitted from said Figure). In this Figure too, the northernmost extremity of the colluvial area is depicted as being over a kilometre south of the Northern Interchange.

In Volume 6 of the EIS the colluvial zone is depicted in Figures 2.1 and 2.2 of Technical Paper 11 as follows:-

Figures 2.1 Geotechnical Terrain Map& 2.2 Geological MapEIS Volume 6 Technical Paper 11 (locations of Scott Street and the public school are added). As per the above EIS illustration, the entire northern interchange(Lee Street area) is located in existent landslide materials.

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19th May 2013 – Twin bridges and Cut 2 photographed from the top of Bulahdelah (the Alum) Mountain

The twin bridges, Bombah Point Road bridge and part of Cut 1 – where massive volumes of acid producing rock dust and silica dust were produced during (but not limited to) blasting, haulage and dry rock-crushing.

The acid produced from acid sulphate rock dust is sulphuric acid – battery acid. People in the township were caused to breathe it, eat it (especially, but not limited to, mouth-breathers) and to drink it. Sulphuric acid is carcinogenic. Silica dust is a listed Hazardous Substance, a Group 1 human carcinogen and the sole cause of the terminal lung disease silicosis. Comment by Bulahdelah Bypass Network.

Taken from the top of the Alum Mountain – Showing the twin bridges and the cut heading north with the batter.

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22nd May 2013 – Property owner’s land being flooded by RMS

Since construction of the [Option E route] commenced, the owner of this property has been flooded on many occasions due to water runoff caused by RMS. Baulderstone admitted that it was a design problem. RMS were given 14 days by the property owner to fix the problem by draining the water on the land owned by RMS. The 14 days has expired and nothing has been done to fix the problem. Today [22-5-2013] the property owner is letting all highway users know that “RMS ARE FLOODING MY LAND“.

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The water runoff being piped from the Alum Mountain runoff onto theproperty owner’s land.

The water outlet pipe that RMS/Baulderstone let out water runoff through onto the property owner’s land.

The water outlet pipe that RMS/Baulderstone let out water runoff through onto the property owner’s land.

The water runoff gushing down on the southern side of the property owner’s land.

Some of the water flooding the property owners land has an oily sludge build up in it.

Water runoff channelled through the property owner’s land travels towards the river:

Water from the flooded property goes underneath the current highway, across vacant land, into Flora Close and then to the river through a large pipe.

The water running across this piece of land is coming from the property that the RMS are flooding. It’s running from the flooded property, underneath the current highway, across this vacant land into Flora Close and making its way through a large pipe finding its way into the river. To the top of the photograph is the current highway, the property flooded by the RMS is directly on the other side of the current highway.

Comment:-

I passed through Bulahdelah yesterday. Got talking to someone who knows the land owner. Apparently the land owner tried to raise the issue with a committee member of the Chamber of Commerce; the response was basically:

“You’re the land owner.

It’s your problem.

It only affects you.”

Typical attitude isn’t it?

The Myall River is the main artery of one of the largest coastal lakes systems in New South Wales, the Myall Lakes. An internationally significant (Ramsar) wetland (Ramsar site no. 994), the lakes are a popular tourist destination with water-based recreational activities, including fishing. Comment by Bulahdelah Bypass Network.

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29th May 2013 – Formerly crystal clear quarry at the top of the mountain found to be extremely muddied

The Big Quarry at the top of the Alum Mountain.

The water in this Quarry was always crystal clear, as children we could swim in it. Now ever since the Blasting by the RMS and Baulderstone the water has become very muddy. They have fractured something beneath the mountain with their blasting activities to have caused this to happen.

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30th May 2013 – RMS / Baulderstone have resealed the south bound lane of the highway

This is the lane that was open for Easter and school holiday traffic. … Looks like all its going to get is a respray of tar.

Bulahdelah Bypass Network note: In March this year it was widely rumoured that after the Easter holidays the southbound lanes would need to be dug up and laid again due to the use of green concrete (concrete which had not fully set). The purported cost of this was $9 million.

The tar does not come level with the gutter, there is at least a 2 inch tripping hazard.

The yellow non-slip part on the footpath is also a tripping hazard.

With Great Lakes Council upgrading the Main Street, Stroud Street, it’s now very dangerous to shop there. They have made a 2 inch gap [difference in height] between the road surface and the gutter. Early this morning I witnessed a shop keeper trip on the footpath, going face down. Imagine if it happens to an elderly person.Edited by Bulahdelah Bypass Network.

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3rd June 2013 – “Lot 100 Pacific Motorway Bulahdelah” – will travellers be charged for travelling through and beneath materials from one or more previously-occurred landslides?

3rd June 2013 – Walking across the Germanic metal bridge on the Alum Mountain I hit Maps on my phone. It asked me if I wanted my current location and I hit yes. The location came up as “Lot 100 Pacific Motorway Bulahdelah”.

RMS are sure calling it different names. Over 20 years ago I viewed a map for the Pacific Motorway Bulahdelah. It was to the West of the town. Maybe someone held on to a copy of that map, but held it upside down, like they did with some of the display maps at a community meeting once. It took a resident to point out to RMS and PPK that the map was upside down.

It’s now titled ‘Pacific Motorway’ on Google maps too.

The original intent of the (then) Department of Main Roads (DMR) was that the ‘Bulahdelah Bypass’, the one and only route – west of the township – which they’d mapped and presented to Bulahdelah businesses circa 1985 as part of the ‘Motorway Pacific’ scheme, would be a tolled motorway.

After the ‘Motorway Pacific’ scheme was abandoned (under the Greiner government) and the decision was made to ‘upgrade’ the Pacific Highway instead, it was still intended that the ‘Bulahdelah Upgrade’ as it was titled prior to the RTA’s fraudulently calling it the ‘Bulahdelah Bypass’, would be tolled.

It seems from this latest renaming to ‘Pacific Motorway, Bulahdelah’ that, despite the numerous EIS-documented hazards of this route and despite the fact that it fails on several (EIS-documented) counts to meet motorway standards, road users will at some future stage have to pay to travel on this dangerous-beyond-belief section of ‘motorway’.

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5th June 2013 – Further abuse by the RMS/Baulderstone

“Opportunities to improve town drainage” was second on the Environmental Impact Statement’s list of claimed “Key advantages” of Option E:

Roads & Maritime Services and Baulderstone are still continuing to pump water from RMS land onto the land of a property owner. Three attempts were made this morning to have RMS/Baulderstone turn off the outlet, to no avail. Media now will be called in.

Roads & Maritime Services and Baulderstone turn this part of the private property they’re deliberately flooding into a mini-river.

On 5th June, 2013, the property owner made three attempts to have RMS/Baulderstone turn off this outlet – to no avail.

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6th June 2013 – RMS & Baulderstone exclude part of residential area and the Alum Mountain Park from noise protection

Installing more Sound Walls on the Alum Mountain in line with Blanch Street. Shame they forgot about other residents when they have left the Alum Mountain Park without. Deliberate no doubt.

The RMS’s [Pacific Highway *MIS*Manager] Bog Higgins says while work will be suspended at worksites this long weekend to reduce highway congestion, there will be no traffic changes.

He says the $315-million bypass is due to be open to traffic later this month.

Bob Higgins displayed his gross communication difficulties yet again with the statement: “What is important is the way we have laid it out is if people want to stop at Bulahdelah they can quite easily and get back onto the highway.”

Under the management of Bob Higgins, Roads & Maritime Services (RMS, the RTA) deliberately created traffic congestion at Bulahdelah commencing in December, 2007. This was undoubtedly to manipulate unwitting members of the highway-using public into screeching for “the bypass” – the dangerous Option E route through unstable landslide materials, construction of which would spread deadly silica dust and other hazardous substances throughout the township. Comment by Bulahdelah Bypass Network.

Extract from RTA defends go-slow lanearticle published by The Telegraph on 29th December, 2007.

Extracts from the above (emphasis added):-

The RTA has found an annoying way to keep holidaymakers safe on the Pacific Highway this festive season _ by creating a five-hour traffic jam.

… the RTA has closed overtaking lanes to the north and south of Bulahdelah on the mid-North Coast.

The closures have outraged motorists, who have been forced to merge into one lane heading north on a 15km stretch of the highway leading into Bulahdelah.

Holidaymakers have faced major delays driving north, with motorists forced to endure five-hour delays on the 100km journey from Newcastle to Bulahdelah.

The closures will remain in place until January 2 and cause massive delays for families travelling north of Newcastle at the weekend.

Bulahdelah Caltex service station manager Melissa Smith said the traffic heading north towards the town was at a standstill.

“The traffic has been bumper to bumper,” she said.

“You get one slow car and it slows everyone down. Everyone is upset that it’s taking so long.”

Another Pacific Highway service station attendant, who did not wish to be named, said motorists were outraged at the lane closures.

“All the overtaking lanes have been blocked off,” she said.

“People are pretty pissed off about it.”

An RTA spokesman yesterday defended the lane closures …

He argued that the changes had actually saved holidaymakers time. [Obviously not – the public was outraged.] …

*In May, 2010, David Campbell resigned from his position of Minister for Roads and Transport after it was made public that he used a taxpayer-funded government car to visit a … club while his wife was battling cancer.

The main aim of management of this Reserve, namely preserving for all time the natural condition of the Reserve, must be kept in mind when any future development or treatment of the Reserve is considered.

In addition to destroying the Main Picnic Grounds of an area dedicated as Public Reserve with the intention that its natural condition be preserved for all time, Roads & Maritime Services and AUSMULCH – AUSMINING have endangered the public by installing a hard (now leaf-litter strewn) surface in formerly grassed areas.

Piles of alum (synonyms: alum stone, alunite) dumped in the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park dedicated Public Reserve. Dust (including but not necessarily limited to) silica and acid producing dust from blasting, haulage and dry rock-crushing of this and other rock types including (but not limited to) sandstone and rhyolite has put the lives of everyone in the area in jeopardy.

In a letter dated “27 Jun 2011”, *Jaymes Boland-Rudder, in his then position of Chief of Staff to Minister for Roads, Duncan Gay, stated (emphasis added): “The environmental impact statement prepared in 2004 concluded that the raw mineral that had the potential to be exposed during construction would be alunite. However, if found, alunite is non-toxic and would pose no risk to the community.” Extract from the reply (written on 5th July, 2011 – ample time for the Roads & Maritime Services’ plans to be thwarted):-

The RTA lied.The Alum Mountain is the largest deposit of alunite in thewestern[southern] hemisphere. As is the case with other acid sulphate rock, freshly pulverised alunite (synonyms: alum stoneandalum [hence the use of the term ‘alum dust’]) forms sulphuric acid on coming into contact with water, including bodily fluids. Mining era assays of Bulahdelah Mountain’s alunite provide evidence that its SO3 content ranges between approximately 32% to 36.76%. Conservatively, 30% of the construction-produced alunite dust (aka alum stone/alum dust) inhaled by human beings in the township – including some 600 children in local schools – would be dissolvable as sulphuric acid within their bodies. The RTA also lied, by omission, in regard to other toxic dust. The following facts in relation to the massive quantities of crystalline silica dust which have been and are intended to be inflicted on the human beings in Bulahdelah have been published at RTA Current Activities from 21-1-2011.

People in government say Mr Boland-Rudder has the mongrel for the job.

At one point while working for Mr Gay, a bureaucrat said to Mr Boland-Rudder: “The minister might have blood on his hands over this decision.”

Mr Boland-Rudder is said to have replied: “The only blood the minister might have on his hands might be yours.”

The public servant is no longer with the government. …

It seems that trees have been planted in the woodchip-covered area in the first photograph.

If that is the case, I wonder if they’re from seeds which a focus group member is purported to have been paid $40,000.00 (forty thousand dollars) by the RTA – RMS – to collect and who is also purported to have collected them from over 70 km away, in the Taree area.

Great Lakes Council destruction for public toilet location at the southern entrance to Bulahdelah – the corner of Stroud Street and Bulahdelah Way (formerly Pacific Highway, Bulahdelah).

Great Lakes Council have now started work around the corner of the main street to construct toilets and a pull over stop next to the Cafe on the corner. As someone said to me this morning, it will be “Welcome to Toilet Town”.

Comments

It is very difficult to turn left from Stroud St. onto the Pacific Highway without wiping out some red witches hats.

Public safety has been almost completely ignored during the destruction of Bulahdelah’s heritage-value (ref. Smith G.) streetscape and removal of shopping centre parking space.

A portion of Wade Park, Bulahdelah, with its convenient and long-established roadside parking facilities.
(Image from Bulahdelah EIS Main Volume Page 5.12.)

[There’s already] Wade’s Park, where, as well as toilets, there’s more than ample parking for buses and caravans. But it seems that anything logical is incomprehensible to Great Lakes Council and those who are involved with them.

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15th June 2013 – A Roads & Maritime Services (RTA) “celebration” of the “upcoming completion” of the Bulahdelah Bypass is to take place one week from today, on Saturday, 22nd June, 2013

The “upcoming completion”, however, is not due until the end of July or – as has always been the case, some time in August.Ref: The Newcastle Herald.

This “celebration” was initially alleged to be the ceremony for the actual opening of the dangerous Option E route and (but not limited to) its: destruction of Aboriginal and Multicultural heritage and culture of international value; damages to private property, including people’s homes; exposure of all people in Bulahdelah (including RMS, RTA personnel and MPs Duncan Gay and Stephen Bromhead) to lethal silica dust and other noxious substances; and extreme community disunification. Obviously, with an abnormal pre-completion “celebration”, RMS & Baulderstone couldn’t get their Option E finished by Saturday, 22nd June. Comment by Bulahdelah Bypass Network.

[15-6-2013 at Save the Alum Sacred Mountain, Bulahdelah] I was just told by a Baulderstone employee that they plan on opening the highway one week from today (Saturday 22nd June 2013). The plan is the opening to be held in the ex Alum Mountain Park area. No vehicles will be allowed at the site, people will be taken there by bus from the Bulahdelah Bowling Club. It’s not known if Duncan Gay will be there.

The photographs below were taken a short time ago, the median strip is far from finished, no lines on the road either. They will be working flat out to get this ready within a week, especially with rain on the way.

Oh, by the way, they don’t plan on making the opening public AGAIN.

… the median strip is far from finished.

Comment by Bulahdelah Bypass Network:-

Option E’s median strip width has been reduced from 14 metres (the figure provided by the RTA during the route selection stage – ref. RTA Newsletter 2) to 11 metres.

RMS (the RTA) plans a “celebration” while the roadway’s at this stage of construction. Comment by Bulahdelah Bypass Network.

The roadway’s not at completion stage. All there is for RMS (the RTA) to “celebrate” is their massive destruction and the accidents which will inevitably occur on this dangerous route. (Photographed 15-6-2013.) Comment by Bulahdelah Bypass Network.

21st June 2013 – RMS & Baulderstone prepare to celebrate their immense destruction with “bread and circuses” diversions to satisfy the “shallow” and create public approval of their dangerous Option E route

The RMS/Baulderstonehave blocked off the road to the Alum Mountain Park in readiness for their“Circus Community Celebration” tomorrow 22nd June 2013.

They have their Circus Tents placed in the Alum Mountain Park as well as on the Forestry owned land at the junction of Scott Street and the Alum Mountain Road.

All of this just for 4 hours tomorrow. Shows how sick they really are

This must be the disinformation tent.

You are so right, they wouldn’t know how to begin to tell the truth. This whole project has been based on lie after lie, why would they give out truthful information now.

“Bread and Circuses” … is a metaphor for a superficial means of appeasement. In the case of politics, the phrase is used to describe the creation of public approval, not through exemplary or excellent public service or public policy, but through diversion; distraction; or the mere satisfaction of the immediate, shallow requirements of a populace, as an offered “palliative.”… [Ref: Wikipedia “Bread and circuses” – emphasis added.]

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21st June 2013 – Signs are in place on the property of the person being brutalized by the RMS in readiness for the RMS/Baulderstone Community Day tomorrow 22nd June 2013. Obviously these signs have upset the RMS/Baulderstone, the blue sign had its rope cut early this afternoon as shown in photograph.Also please check out the Newcastle Morning Herald tomorrow Saturday 22nd June 2013, could be an interesting article. Comment by Bulahdelah Bypass Network:The Newcastle Herald of Saturday, 22nd June, 2013, did not contain an article in regard to Bulahdelah.

RMS ARE FLOODING MY LAND.

WARNING – WARNING! RMS / RTA are DESTROYING PRIVATE LAND.

Obviously these signs have upset the RMS/Baulderstone, the blue sign had its rope cut early this afternoon as shown in photograph. Needless to say that RMS/Baulderstone trespassed on the property to cut the rope.

Keep putting them up. RMS are getting what they deserve.

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22nd June 2013 – Property owner’s sign vandalised by trespasser/s

At around 6 a.m. this morning the sign on the property was in perfect condition. The owner of the property slipped out for a short while and on returning found that the sign had yellow paint sprayed on it. Obviously RMS/Baulderstone don’t like the advertising of their wrongdoing.

The property owner is not going to be intimidated by RMS/Baulderstone, their actions only show what psychopaths they really are.

A Baulderstone employee has already stated to the property owner in my presence that the flooding and eroding of the property is due to a design fault with the highway upgrade, and stated that he agreed that this shouldn’t be happening.

completion of Option E-radicator was to take 3 years from the commencement of so-called Major Construction (i.e. Major Destruction) which commenced in August, 2010;

the ‘Bulahdelah Bypass Premises’ licence (no. 12993) was issued on 24th November, 2008. Construction hours were initially to be 7.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday and 8:00 am to 1:00 pm Saturday. [Construction was not to take place on public holidays, Sundays or after 1.00 p.m. on Saturdays.]

in September, 2009, the cost to (that) date was $379 million.

Baulderstone applied for and received their Bulahdelah Bypass licence (no. 12993) some twelve months prior to the Call for Tenders. (The Call for Tenders was made on 14th October, 2009.)

Quote – The Daily Telegraph via Perth Now – 28th October, ’12 (The article’s photograph of the ‘gridlock at Bulahdelah’ is actually of Victoria Road, Sydney):-

Roads Minister Duncan Gay blamed poor weather….

“Over the last two years of construction there have been 192 days, or about nine months, of wet weather, pushing back the completion date by about three months,” he said.

But more than 100 years of records reveal the recent weather is hardly out of the ordinary – on average Bulahdelah receives about 95 rainy days every year.

And the rain that has fallen on those days hasn’t been unusually heavy either. In the two years to September, Bulahdelah received only fractionally more than the annual average of 1325mm.

A spokesman for Mr Gay said the figure quoted only accounted for days lost to rain and the ensuing recovery period. “It also excludes public holidays, weekends and rostered days off, which if included would increase this figure to 323 days affected by wet weather on a seven-day basis,” he said. … [But public holidays, Sundays & Saturday afternoons after one o’clock weren’t meant to be included – refer 2. above.]

Yet build time isn’t the only aspect of the project to blow out – the expected cost has more than doubled initial estimates to $315 million.[The initially advertised cost in Newsletter 2 of late July, 2000, was $149 million for Option E – Option A was $145 million – by September, 2009, it was reported as costing $379 million – refer 3. above.]

[A spokesman for Duncan Gay] said the original estimate was made in 2004 and did not take inflation into account.

“The key reason for the greater cost estimate was a significant increase in building costs leading up to the global financial crisis,” he said.

“The current cost estimate of $315 million is based on a competitive tendering process for the building contract.” [Hardly ‘competitive’ – there was no competition – refer 4. above.]

The above “Bread and Circuses” handout flyer also states: Community issues The project team is working through concerns relating to dust, noise and other property impacts from work.

Perhaps those people who use the new road these holidays to get to their destination 10 minutes quicker could spare a thought for the 68 year old pensioner who lives next door to this road and has had her life destroyed by this road.

Perhaps they could spare a thought for her animals who no longer have a fresh water supply because of constant flooding of her land by the RMS, perhaps they could give a thought to the many trees on her property who have fallen over due to erosion caused by the flooding of her land, perhaps they could spare a thought for the pensioner herself who has had pneumonia twice in the last 3 months due to living in a house filled with mould because her land never dries out.

Perhaps!

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23rd June 2013 – Insultinglymisleading RMS public display signs at the Alum Mountain Park (the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park registered Public Reserve and at and within the boundary of Bulahdelah Mountain Aboriginal Place)

The Entrance Sign to the Alum Mountain Park.

Comments

They need someone with knowledge and a brain to create these interpretation boards.

‘Track *to* Alum Mountain’ – It’s now over thirteen years since the RTA – RMS – first began to infest Bulahdelah and they still don’t use the correct nickname for Bulahdelah Mountain: THE Alum Mountain.

The Alum Mountain Park, the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park designated Public Reserve, is on the mid-slopes of Bulahdelah (THE Alum) Mountain. Anyone reading the sign will already be on the mountain.

“Biripai people may have also visited Bulahdelah” What RMS aren’t sure? How ever do they dream this crap up.

That will be because some of the destructive members of Karuah Aboriginal land council identify as Biripai.

The RTA (RMS) – and Karuah Aboriginal land council – knew as long ago as 1990 that the Alum Mountain is of Aboriginal cultural heritage significance.

The only ‘strengthening of the wellbeing of Aboriginal people’ to have occurred with the use of this corruptly processed Option E route is from the ‘strengthening’ of Karuah land council’s bank account via the sale of parts of two parcels of land to the RTA.

Karuh Aboriginal land council represents the interests of Karuah Aboriginal land council executives and those interests do not include traditional beliefs.

From the Indigenous people sign in the Alum Mountain Park. RMS can’t even get the meaning of Bulahdelah correct.

The meaning of Bulahdelah (originally pronounced Boolah Dillah) is ‘The Great Rock’. There are two reliable references for this: Henning R. and Rupp H.M.R.

There are no genuine references whatsoever for the gross misinterpretation of Bulahdelah utilised by the RTA – RMS. This ridiculous and insulting misinterpretation seems to have stemmed from part of Sir Richard Bourke’s estate, ‘Boolladilla’ (named after the mountain) having been located between the Crawford and Myall Rivers.

This part of the signage the RTA – RMS – has located in the Alum Mountain Park – the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park designated Public Reserve – reeks of input from the ignoramuses currently operating Bulahdelah Historical Society and COLLUDING with the RTA – RMS in their destruction of history and heritage.

The Great Rock, Boolah Dillah, is The All-powerful Rock, The Sacred Rock. That Boolah Dillah, ‘THE Great Rock’, was referred to as such due to its being ‘a dominant part of the landscape’ is a concoction by the culturally and spiritually devoid psychopaths employed by the RTA – RMS – and their quislings.

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According to the RMS Plan Map of the Alum Mountain Park, this is meant to be the gravel path leading to the Healing Stream. It’s not gravel, it’s outlined with Alum that they blasted out of the ground …

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One of the interpretative signs that RMS have placed on the Mountain side of the Metal Bridge connecting to the Alum Mountain.

Why on earth would they use a photograph of a Traction Engine at the bottom of the sign? The Traction Engine pictured was used for timber haulage at a local sawmill on the bank of the river, they were never used on the Alum Mountain. Think both the RMS and the Bulahdelah Historical Society need to learn the history of the area.

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And the misleading information keeps being published by the RMS/Baulderstone.

The playground has not been replaced.

The new toilet block does not exist.

No sight of any electric BBQ’s.

No Car park facilities.

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26th June 2013 – Bulahdelah Bypass not to be completed before the end of July or some time in August

The Thursday, 27th June, 2013, ‘opening’ of the (fraudulently named) Bulahdelah Bypass is to be temporary – until Sunday, 30th June, when northbound highway traffic will be moved back through Bulahdelah for about four weeks. From the linked article [deceptively titled Bulahdelah bypass opens Thursday by the Newcastle Herald]:-

MOTORISTS are advised of changed traffic conditions from Thursday as the Bulahdelah bypass opens to traffic.

From about 10am to 2pm motorists will be progressively directed onto the new road with temporary electronic message signs in place to help direct motorists through the changes.

… Once the bypass opens, access to Bulahdelah township will continue to be available from the northern and southern interchanges.

All north and southbound lanes will be open for the first weekend of the school break to help maintain traffic flow during the holidays.

From Sunday, June 30, northbound highway traffic will be moved back through Bulahdelah for about four weeks. This will allow for finishing work to be completed along the northern road including the installation of noise walls and barriers.

The southbound lanes will remain open and the upgrade will be fully open to traffic from the end of July, weather permitting. [Emphasis added.]

So-called ‘major construction’ (i.e. major destruction) commenced in August, 2010. The RTA’s (RMS) time frame for ‘major construction’ was three years.

Despite the numerous LIES told by RMS and various government ministers over the years, completion was not due prior to August, 2013, and it seems that that’s when it’s likely to occur (weather permitting of course).

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June 2013 temporary opening due to take place on 27th – advertised on RTA Live Traffic website as already being open on 26th June.

RTA Live Traffic false and potentially dangerous report: The Bulahdelah Bypass is now open to traffic. Now the bypass is open … Comment
by Bulahdelah Bypass Network.

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Thursday 27th June 2013 – Bulahdelah Bypass Opening Ceremony for the opening that didn’t really happen – and is not due until August (weather permitting)

OPENING: Myall Lakes local member Stephen Bromhead and Great Lakes mayor Jan McWilliams officially open the Bulahdelah bypass on Thursday. Photograph and caption from Great Lakes AdvocatearticleBypass officially opens and closes again within days.

This was only to try to make people think that they were being on-track, those who have carefully researched this project know that the completion date was always August 2013. They didn’t even let the community know about the (false) opening, once again RMS covering their tracks.

It will be another month before the highway bypass of the town is complete and able to permanently take north and south-bound traffic. This did not stop the official opening, with Myall Lakes local member Stephen Bromhead praising the RMS for its work.

“The opening is a testament to the hard work and planning Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and the project team have put into the project,” he said in a statement on Thursday morning. …

In a letter to the Advocate on the day of the official opening on Thursday last week titled ‘RMS is ruining my life’, [a] Bulahdelah resident … stated her land on the Pacific Highway had been “decimated by the construction of this new road”, but she said her concerns had fallen on deaf ears.

The pensioner also said a sign she had erected outside her house, highlighting the issues she had with the road, had been vandalised.

“The flooding and erosion of my property could have been avoided with proper design and construction,” she said.

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27th June 2013 – Pacific Highway Downgrade – Bulahdelah section opens today until Sunday 30th June when the switchover of lanes will occur again

Thursday 27th June, 2013.

Guard Rails not complete.

Noise Wall Panels unfinished.

Median Strip a bog heap.

Not the mention the totally incomplete Alum Mountain Park – No BBQ’s, No Toilets, No Children’s Playground, No Car park.

The children’s play equipment from the Alum Mountain Park, taken away by a navvy, possibly for his own children. This equipment doesn’t look in a state of ill repair like the RMS would have people believe, it’s obviously good enough for the navvy who took it away in his private vehicle. This equipment was also initially funded by grants from NSW Heritage and Tidy Towns.

27th June 2013 – Both lanes are temporarily open on the Bulahdelah Bypass

Northbound laden trucks to be slowed by approximately 25 km per hour over a distance of 900 metres. Southbound laden trucks to be slowed by 20 km per hour over a distance of one kilometre. (Ref: Bulahdelah Upgrading the Pacific Highway Environmental Impact Statement – EIS – Volume 3 Technical Paper 4.)

Note: while the slowing of northbound trucks was counted in the EIS as an upgrade objective failure, the slowing of southbound trucks was not.

The Southbound lanes were opened shortly after 10 a.m. this morning, the Northbound lands were opened around midday. It was reported to me that the RMS were not going to open the Northbound lanes after all, because of the thin layer of seal that was used, and because of the wet weather, obviously they changed their mind, I’m sure safety issues don’t bother them at all.

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29th June 2013 – Bridge to the Mountain Road already being used for Burnouts

There has been a two car accident on the Pacific Highway at the corner of Crawford Street and the old Pacific Highway Bulahdelah. This happened minutes after the RMS closed the north bound lane on the bypass for further work. All of this changing around will cause accidents.

To add confusion the North Bound Lane is now via the Main Street of Bulahdelah [through Bulahdelah shopping centre]. North Bound traffic is being turned off the bridge into Stroud Street [through the shopping centre], and [right] around the corner into Meade Street and onto the old highway [left] at the Mount View Motel.

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3rd July 2013 – the uncompleted bypass that’s not a bypasss

Southbound traffic using the new bypass [not a bypass], northbound traffic using the old highway.

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4th July 2013 – stunninglyhypocritical/ignorant comments from Jan McWilliams, Mayor, Great Lakes Council and Stephen Bromhead, National Party MP for Myall Lakes

She also wished to thank the Worimi people for their co-operation through the whole project.

So Mayor Jan McWilliams said she “felt for the [town]”, what a hide and a hypocrite, it was her Council, Great Lakes Council that voted for this insanity to be constructed in the first place.

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Quote: ‘[Mayor Jan McWilliams] also wished to thank the Worimi people for their co-operation through the whole project’.

“… the way they came in and just knocked that tree [the Sacred Guardian- Healing-Tree] down and cut it down, and you had the police there taunting, racially taunting the elder [WORIMI!], calling him ‘half-caste’ and all sorts of terrible names.

“And this man, he’s at the end of it. He’s been bashed; he’s been pilloried; he’s gone to the courts; he’s been dragged through the courts himself.

“He’s done every single thing a person could ask for to protect this heritage site, not only for the Worimi people, but for all Australian people.

“Because you can never bring it back, it’s irreconcilable what’s happened.

And who was one of the attempted murderers who ‘bashed’ Worimi? According to the above-linked webpage, it was a son of a Great Lakes Council employee.

Bad enough they blasted it, but now covering the Alum they exposed with concrete, another RMS/Baulderstone sign of just how they don’t care about any Heritage or Significant Values of the Alum Mountain.

27th June, 2011 – Duncan Gay (via his then Chief of Staff, Jaymes Boland-Rudder): The environmental impact statement prepared in 2004 concluded that the raw mineral that had the potential to be exposed during construction would be alunite. However, if found[emphasis added], alunite is …

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9th July 2013 – The Dangerous Northern Interchange

Just like the rest of the new highway, full of dangerous bends.

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9th July 2013 – Newly installed sign on the Northbound Lane of the new highway

This sign has been placed directly opposite Sacred Frog Rock. With the lack of mentality of RMS they are probably hoping that people will look at their big sign and not notice a significant Aboriginal object on the opposite side.

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9th July 2013 – Option E roadway located dangerously close to home

Home belonging to the owner of the property being flooded by RMS/Baulderstone. Shows just how close they built the highway to the property. Note no Noise Walls (Yet) either.

I guess they left these till the last minute to annoy as many Residents and School Children as they could.

Across the roadway [third photograph]: the destroyed Alum Mountain Park, the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park designated Public Reserve. The roadway in this area was originally intended to be 10 (ten) metres below (the then) ground level.

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13th July 2013 – the areas of the non-existent toilet block and children’s playground that the RTA (RMS) documented that they had ‘replaced’ by June, 2013

Welcome to the Alum Mountain Park. I guess the photograph of the area with the orange and yellow mesh around it is the advertised newly replaced toilet block. The photograph of the bare patch of dirt is the advertised replaced Children’s Playground.

They completely destroyed the Bower Birds’ ‘nest’ area they claimed they would not disturb. [Ref: 19/8/’11 Aboriginal Focus Group meeting record.]

Plus knowingly destroyed historic lemon and pear trees (and habitat which was used by hundreds of wrens every year). They also knowingly destroyed other parts of the former Mountain House garden area and the area of the stillborn baby’s grave site.

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14th July 2013 – The Southbound and Northbound lanes near the Northern Interchange

The very bendy piece of road in the front of the photograph is the Exit
lane into Bulahdelah. Hope you like sharp bends to negotiate.

Extract from the facebook note published by A. Carrall (republished with permission):-

Immense devastation and irrevocable community disunification have been caused by RMS and their absolutely unjustifiable Option E route! The entire township of Bulahdelah – and far beyond – has been exposed to ineradicable dust which causes incurable lung disease! [12] People’s homes have been damaged by blasting and other vibration-causing activities. There is massive water runoff and deliberately caused flooding of private property. [13] Some people have permanent physical disabilities due to the violent assaults which have occurred – people, upstanding, ethical citizens, have been *BASHED* because of RMS and their Option E route.

… two days prior to the ‘bread and circuses’ event it was promoted in an RMS-parroting propaganda-filled article with the title: BULAHDELAH BYPASS BASH TO SAY THANK YOU [14]. … said article was published at an ‘independent’ politician’s website.

“The Community Day is a great way for everyone to get together to celebrate the end of a major construction project on the Mid-North Coast which will deliver new community opportunities to Bulahdelah and a safer, more efficient transport network for motorists,” Mr Oakeshott said. “Community days for other towns bypassed by the upgraded Pacific Highway have been great community events and an opportunity for locals to get together to celebrate a milestone. “From next week, Bulahdelah will no longer be a construction site, and that’s worth celebrating.”

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4th July 2013 – Trying to get a straight answer from Doug Fleming, RMS manager

He mumbles, he doesn’t like looking you in the eye. This was filmed on the property of the Bulahdelah resident whose land is being eroded and flooded by the RMS/Baulderstone. You might like to turn the volume up for the ending.

They built the Park side of the Wall up with dirt, and dug the road side down.

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16th July 2013 – Mountain Road closed

The Alum Mountain Road is closed to all vehicles, including experienced 4WD drivers. The Alum Mountain is still fully accessible by walking. (Ref: Forestry Corporation of NSW.)

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18th July 2013 – further contamination of privately owned dam by RMS and Baulderstone

Further RMS- and Baulderstone-caused contamination of private dam.

Yesterday, Thursday 18th July 2013, Baulderstone had let the water out of the holding pond above the property of Carol Newman releasing not only contaminated water but all the sludge on the bottom as well, making her dam even more contaminated. It appeared at first that they may have cleared the holding pond out and had started to fill it in (which still wouldn’t have solved the problem).

Today, Friday 19th July 2013, they are not filling it in, but excavating it out making it deeper and bigger. This means that Carol Newman can now expect more water to flood her property and more soil erosion as well. Two photographs taken yesterday Thursday 18th July 2013 show the water quality in her dam, the third photograph taken today Friday 19th July 2013 shows the excavator making the holding pond bigger and deeper.

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26th July 2013 – toxic odour in residential area

Whatever kind of paint they are using on the sound walls, and are letting fly into the air and down into the residential area, really has a strong toxic smell to it.

… it doesn’t smell like just paint, it has a really strong and unpleasant chemical smell. I haven’t noticed it today but it permeated the nearby residential area all day yesterday.

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27th July 2013 – One southbound lane closed then reopened by 4.40 p.m.

The inside lane of the south bound lanes is closed, leaving only the outer lane for traffic heading south. Reason unknown.

4.40 p.m. open again.

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30th July 2013 – Nabiac accident misreported as having occurred at Bulahdelah

Coolongolook is 30.2 kilometres north of Bulahdelah. ’10km south of Coolongolook’ is not ‘AT BULAHDELAH’, it’s (approximately) 20 kilometres NORTH OF BULAHDELAH, NEAR WOOTTON, on the ‘upgraded’ section of Pacific Highway.

The Live Traffic NSW (RMS) report states – BULAHDELAH: One northbound lane is now open on the Pacific Highway at the Wattley Hill Road Overpass, 20km north of Bulahdelah, following a car accident in Wootton.

… To allow for finishing works along the new highway, traffic switches are scheduled to occur the week commencing Monday 29 July 2013, weather permitting.

The traffic switch will involve closing the southbound carriageway on Wednesday 31 July 2013 and Thursday 1 August 2013, weather permitting.

Southbound traffic will be diverted through the Bulahdelah township during [sic] 7am and 6pm while the asphalting works are being carried out and traffic will be returned to normal outside of these hours.

From Friday 2 August 2013, weather permitting, northbound traffic will be diverted onto the new highway. This will be the final traffic arrangement for the Bulahdelah Pacific Highway upgrade.

Please follow the signs, including reduced speed limits and follow the direction of traffic controllers. …

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31st July 2013 – Water buildup behind noise wall

Wouldn’t like to be travelling along the Northbound lane when it opens on Friday. Already after only a few showers of rain, the Noise Wall is filling with water at the back of it. If it washed out I would hate to be the car it falls on.

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2nd August 2013 – Opening and closing of lanes

The Northbound lane is now fully open, but they have closed off the Southbound lane. Looks like for the weekend one lane of the Southbound lane will be opened according to the yellow direction signs they are placing along the sides. Opening and closing lanes must get very confusing for people.

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3rd August 2013 – Northbound lanes open, southbound lanes closed

Northbound lanes are open, Southbound lanes are closed. From a count I did at the top of the Alum Mountain, out of 48 vehicles using the Northbound lanes, only 2 took the exit to come into Bulahdelah.

3rd August 2013 – 4 p.m. Both Southbound lanes are still closed.

3rd August 2013 – 5 p.m. All 4 lanes are now open.

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4th August 2013 9.40 a.m. – Traffic flowing both directions on the bypass – No traffic using the Highway through Bulahdelah

Only 6 vehicles parked in the main street shopping centre. One man in one of the cafés, and only one customer in the IGA.

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Monday 5th August, 2013 – The southbound lanes will close again.

“The southbound bypass will close on Monday 5 August while the final works take place”. Image sourced at NSW Live Traffic.

Monday 5th August, 2013 –A circus indeed! Southbound lanes open but with “six weeks” of “some roadwork taking place on the southbound shoulder”.

The last paragraph of the ‘Live Traffic’ report has changed from ‘The southbound bypass will close on Monday 5 August while the final works take place’ to ‘There will be some roadwork taking place on the southbound shoulder for the next six weeks with a reduced speed limit of 80km/h in place’.

“There will be some roadwork taking place on the southbound shoulder for the next six weeks with a reduced speed limit of 80km/h in place”. Image sourced at NSW Live Traffic.

So completion of the roadway of the corruptly processed and fraudulently named Bulahdelah Bypass, initially due in August, is now not due until September this year.

Double-glazing and air-conditioning have not yet been installed for all eligible, RMS-approached residents and the toilets, children’s play equipment and barbecues destroyed by RMS in the Alum Mountain Park, the Main Picnic Grounds of Bulahdelah Mountain Park declared Public Reserve, have not yet been replaced. The Option E-radicator Project will, in itself, not be complete until such time as all of this takes place. (Actual completion, of course, will be when the last death from dust disease [/vehicle exhaust] occurs.)

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Wednesday 28th August 2013 – Further destruction of and damage to private property

Dried remains of floc and erosion from water runoff illegally pumped onto private property by RMS and Baulderstone.

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Wednesday 28th August 2013 – WELCOME to TOILET TOWN

The construction on the right hand side of this photograph is a Public Toilet being placed there by Great Lakes Council. It is situated on the old highway just over the Bulahdelah bridge. The toilet comes complete with doors that face the front, therefore facing the old highway. A beautiful sight for people still travelling into Bulahdelah. The first thing you now see is a grey brick toilet block. WELCOME to TOILET TOWN.

Devised to keep the travelling public away from the shopping centre? This was certainly the case with the location where this eyesore was originally intended to be located, across the river in the then non-existent Myall River Park. [BULAHDELAH COMMUNITY STRATEGIC PLAN.]

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Friday 6th September 2013 – Commencement of construction of car park – three months earlier, June, 2013, RMS fraudulently published that it had already been completed

Commencement of the Alum Mountain Park Car Park that according to RMS media was already there in June 2013.

The Car Park is opposite the Scott Street side of the Alum Mountain Park on the Forestry Office side.

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19th September 2013 – New power line easement track graded without dust control

RMS/Baulderstone have graded the new power-line easement track. They have been taking truck loads of gravel that was dumped opposite the Alum Mountain Park (Scott Street) taking it across the metal bridge and somewhere north along the power-line easement.

Think they need dust control in place, no water truck in sight anywhere.

Poor people who are walking along this track, poor school and residents below.

Comments:

Don’t they have a water truck working anymore?

They previously had water trucks on show in areas where they could be seen by people travelling on the (now old) Pacific Highway but didn’t ever have water trucks working at suppressing dust produced above the residential area. However, they did have water trucks travelling through and polluting the residential area.

Thursday, 29th September, 2013 – Dust being produced by the RTA – RMS – and their contractors, Baulderstone, some 200 or so metres from a large public school and numerous residences at Bulahdelah. The dust is (but is not limited to) both acid sulphate – it produces sulphuric acid on coming into contact with fluid and airborne crystalline silica, a listed Hazardous Substance, a Group 1 human carcinogen and the sole cause of silicosis. Silicosis is terminal.Although open to traffic, the corruptly processed and fraudulently named Bulahdelah Bypass (route Option E), which RTA – RMS – records show was due to be completed last month, is still not complete.

Motorists are advised the speed limit on a section of the Pacific Highway near Bulahdelah will now increase following the completion of upgrade work.

The 110km/h speed is being reinstated along most sections of the bypass.

There will be a 100 km/h speed restriction in place for northbound traffic from the Bulahdelah northern interchange to 100 metres north of the Lakes Way intersection.

An 80km/h speed limit for southbound traffic will be in place from Lakes Way to 200 metres south of Wootton Way while intersection improvement work is carried out.

Motorists are encouraged to drive with caution and obey posted speed limits.

Note: According to the Bulahdelah Upgrading the Pacific Highway Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the speed limit for all traffic was to lower from 110 to 100 km per hour at the crest of a hill. It was also stated in the EIS that on said hill,northbound laden trucks would be slowed by approximately 25 km per hour over a distance of 900 metres and southbound laden trucks would be slowed by 20 km per hour over a distance of one kilometre. (Ref: Bulahdelah Upgrading the Pacific Highway Environmental Impact Statement – EIS – Volume 3 Technical Paper 4.) While the slowing of northbound trucks was counted in the EIS as an upgrade objective failure, the slowing of southbound trucks was not.

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22nd September 2013 – The Bends and Sharp Curves of the Northern Interchange and Bulahdelah Way Exit Road

The bends and sharp curves of the northern interchange and Bulahdelah Way exit road photographed 22-9-2013.

Encouragement for travellers to NOT enter Bulahdelah. Photographed 22-9-2-13.

This photograph shows a steep hill in addition to “bends and sharp curves”.

Comment

I always thought the northern end of the Bulahdelah bypass looked rather like ‘spaghetti junction’ – just goes to show I was right.

You will be forgiven for thinking [that the RMS depot is] the local tip.

The tree pictured along the wall of the building is the Guardian Healing Tree, a sacred Aboriginal – Worimi – relic.

This is how the RMS treat Aboriginal Significant Objects.

False accusations were made by RMS and some Bulahdelah residents that the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in the Alum Mountain Park was an eyesore, the real eyesore in Bulahdelah is the Bulahdelah RMS work depot. People who “think” they live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. As for the storage conditions of the Guardian Healing Tree, it’s just a disgrace.

Comments

Bob Higgins, RMS Pacific Highway [MIS]Manager on 6/1/2010 [SBS interview]: “… what we’ve been trying to do is be respectful of everyone and sensitive to everyone’s issues, and uh we have a requirement by the Department of Planning so what we’ve done is um er taken part of the tuck [sic], hih [sic] part of the trunk of the tree [pronounced troiee] and uh we’ve put it er in our depot at Bulahdelah … we have a requirement to salvage part of the tree and to work with them and uh we’ve tried to do that in uh very respectful way with everyone involved.”

I’m speechless and appalled. All I can say is I know for fact that Dr. Karma has already paid a visit to a few people who tried to hurt Worimi throughout his fight to save this very special powerful tree. Looks like Dr. Karma has a few more visits to make.

I can only repeat the words on the Sacred Guardian-Healing-Tree Memorial Page. ‘On Wednesday, 23rd December, 2009, a Sacred Aboriginal Site, the Guardian-Healing-Tree was destroyed in an act of spiteful racial and religious persecution.’ We now see the proof of this statement.

… the corruption extends all the way through to the Australian Government, with both (but not necessarily limited to) Dr. David Collett, in his then position of Director Indigenous Heritage East, and Peter Garrett having aided and abetted the RTA. Collett’s corruption was so blatant that he even sniggered and laughed when Worimi’s lawyer made points of law in court.

Posted at Save the Alum Sacred Mountain, Bulahdelah – For the record, Wednesday, 25th September, 2013: At approximately 9.25 this morning, one of the occupants of the Baulderstone vehicle in this photograph shouted out, “Ya fuckin’ [remainder indistinct],” while I was standing on my front verandah.

Comments:

What do you expect, Baulderstone are the lowest of the low scum. A summary of events from posts here show what lowlife scum they are. Throwing rocks at people walking on the Mountain, driving their vehicles in front of residents’ cars, trying to run residents off the road, shouting abuse at residents and the list goes on.

9.56 a.m. (25/9/’13). The vehicle was just driven past again and, again, an occupant of the vehicle shouted out. This time with, “Yeah, ya fuckin’ [remainder indistinct].” I am at my computer which is located near the back of the house. I have just asked … to telephone the police.

10.09 the police (Taree) have been notified. The RMS Community Relations Manager, Lennelle Irwin, has also been notified.

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25th September 2013 – The multifarious abuses by RMS and Baulderstone just keep on keeping on

Resident’s dam eroded and contaminated by oil and water runoff from the RMS holding pond.

The RMS might like to keep their depot like a pigsty, but why should this property owner have to put up with water run-off coming from the RMS holding pond, eroding and contaminating her dam and turning it into a pigsty. … and myself took a sample of water from her dam at 3 p.m. this afternoon. The photographs show the erosion and water quality or lack of water quality of the dam. The water that is being held in the bottle by … is black. When I spilt some onto the road it was full of oil, and extremely smelly.